


The Forces Between

by AngelOfDeath10



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Forced Marriage, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-31 06:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21098696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelOfDeath10/pseuds/AngelOfDeath10
Summary: In the emerging town of Jarta Tifa finds her bar under seige by a corporate boss, but is his disturbing interest simply professional and will she return it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in 2003. Not super proud of this one, but posting anyway for the sake of completion. Ugh. Early badfic is bad.
> 
> Disclaimer: Squaresoft and a bunch of other corporate entities own everything Final Fantasy and I don't pretend I own a bit of it. This is just a way to eat up some time and have some fun.

Tifa gently pinched the bridge of her nose with her eyes tightly shut and a grimace of pain touching her lips. After a moment she tossed back her thick mahogany hair from her face and turned to the men that stood above her with arrogant grins on their faces. It was morning, it was cold, it was foggy, and she needed to get a lot done before she was emotionally prepared to face these men. For her, the night had been long, and tonight was going to be no different and if they thought she would tolerate them with the same strained patience, they were in for a rude awakening. Her hands reflexively clenched and opened as if she were getting ready for a fight, but no matter how much she wanted to, she didn't need assault charges making this even more complex of a situation.

"I told you, I'm not selling the bar. Not for any price. This is my life and I have no desire to change it." She spoke slowly, through her teeth, unknowingly cracking her knuckles. The men continued to smile. They were large men, in black suits, but they didn't resemble the sort of men who work in an office each day so much as thugs that had been outfitted hastily by a greater power.

"Miss Lockhart," The representative goon, smaller than his compatriots but no less threatening in his own way, (she suspected he was a lawyer) pursued the issue as Tifa began the process of undoing the various locks on the front door. "You must understand that this is vital for the well being of the city. My client simply wishes to help enrich this area and help bring in more tourists. You are the only one who is fighting this in the community. . ."

"That's because your bastard boss had everyone in the area evicted or paid off! Most of them had nowhere to go, except the slum on the other side of town. I am the only one fighting this in the community because I am all that is LEFT of the community. Now go away before I have you removed for trespassing on my property." She opened the door with a firm, quick movement and slammed the door behind her and making the small chime near it give a piercing clang. Leaning against the door, she slid down with her back to the sturdy wood until she was nearly squatting on the floor.

"Miss Lockhart," The slimy man just didn't seem to know when to quit. "If you don't respond to my client's more than generous offer, then I'm afraid you leave us little choice than pursue other methods to ensure your cooperation." From the way he said it, she was sure none of those 'methods' involved the local governmental services. Tifa simply wrapped her arms around her and shrank into a tighter ball, holding in the anger imperfectly as her body shook with the desire to just run out there and punch them until her knuckles bled. "Have a good day, Miss Lockhart." The hollow creaks from the stairs announced the exit of her antagonists.

Tifa stood up and walked swiftly to the corner to grab a broom. She attacked the dirt in corners and under tables until the air was filled with as much dust from her vicious whisking as she had gathered in a pile for the wastebasket. It was not as satisfying as a fight, but at least it was hands on. Tears formed in her eyes as grit marred her vision, and as she wiped it away she noticed that not all of that wetness was from the dirt. She felt helpless, she felt victimized, Tifa was indignant for the community and the pain it had gone through when they all had suffered so much already. Jarta was a medium sized city that wasn't too far away from where Midgar had lain, and it had been somewhat prosperous in its own way. Once the larger city had suffered its catastrophes many of the displaced people made their way to Jarta and the town's size seemed to double overnight with a suburb of shanties. She had no idea all this was happening at the time - she was too busy saving the world with Cloud. . . no she wouldn't go down that road again. Not now, when she was too weak to guard against the pain.

Jarta, after the seven years since Midgar's effective destruction, had absorbed most of the population that had flocked there in addition to many people from smaller towns that just hadn't been able to deal with the increased number of monsters on the outside. The reason they went to Jarta, rather than another one of the numerous towns, was that Jarta had the Wall. The Wall, a massive project that was nearly completed after five years of constant construction, protected this city and allowed everyone to thrive without fear of attack. As a result, craftsmen flocked to the city to set up shop and Jarta was a trading capital with wealth to spare in a world where everyone was trying to reconstruct a society that had fallen into near chaos less than a decade ago. But, as Tifa had always known to be true even before Meteor threatened their lives, the new wealth was not evenly distributed. New firms rose from the rubble; none as powerful as Shinra Inc. but all of them aspiring to be so. The town was effectively an oligarchy, at the moment, but it didn't touch the lives of many of the people whom Tifa lived and worked around. The working people, the blue collar population who kept the city working and who did the jobs that the nouveau riche wouldn't touch and the artisans couldn't be bothered with, made up the clientele for Tifa's small bar, the Rusty Wrench.

These hardworking men and women who had come to the city that breathed with promise for the ambitious and beckoned to the outcasts from all walks of life were now being denied even the small pleasures they had come to rely on. The stability they desired, the ability to simply live without fear, well. . . the bastards on top apparently couldn't even let them have that much. Rather, the rich idiots were alienating the very workers who made the town live by banishing them to the slums for the poorest of the poor on the other side of town so that they could build a hotel and shopping center for the large tourist population that came through on business and for pleasure throughout the year. The slums lay on the side where the Wall was not finished, and monster attacks were not uncommon even now. Tifa herself would be there if not for the fact that she happened to rent a house just outside of the targeted area for construction. Her bar was not so lucky.

The bell chimed with a gentle tinkle, and Tifa looked up to greet the smiling face of Yuffie. Tifa realized she had just been staring off into space for the last few minutes and with a last couple sweeps she laid the broom aside and wiped her hands on her apron to rid herself of the dust. Yuffie held up a bag.

"Yo, Tifa. Look who has breakfast! Aren't I the coolest friend in the world?" Tifa felt some cheer well up inside of her at the kind gesture. The stormy mood that had possessed her was shoved aside. The oblivious ninja seemed unaware that anything was wrong. "Hey, I was just checkin' up on you before I hopped on over to the shop. Vince says that he'll have the books for last week all worked out by tonight, and I'll have 'em when I start my shift."

"That sounds fabulous Yuffie. I knew I could count on you two, though where Vincent learned accounting I'll never know." Tifa started to take down chairs from a table. "Do you know what time it is? It seems like the food shipment is a little late today."

"Dunno. The fog is so damned thick I can't make out asses from elbows." Yuffie shrugged and helped Tifa take down chairs. "Vince is complaining all the time about 'punctuality' and 'professionalism', and I just hope you don't start taking after his anal retentive habits." The words were harsh, but she said them with a certain fondness.

"I guess you could say I'm just getting suspicious. Boss Nova had his goons down here first thing to greet me. I gave them a piece of my mind and sent them off, but they made it all too clear that they'll only play fair so long as it continues to suit them." Tifa pushed some errant hair from her face with a rather forceful swat. "I have half a mind to march downtown and talk to Nova myself."

Yuffie looked like she was about explode, mock punching in the air she practically yelled her vociferous opinions about what Tifa should have done. ". . . and then WHAM, and once one of the big ones was all doubled over then I would have appeared! Oh, boy, it has been too long since the last time I got into a fight, and I mean a real fight and not all this sissy monster hunting. Vince says that there's a lot of money in insurance right now, and we're good at it and all-what with selling weapons too we make a bundle, but damn it Tifa I miss the old days."

Tifa and Yuffie together did not exactly make the wisest entity when it came to diplomatic negotiations. "Yeah, and you think the saviors of the planet would have a little more clout! He can't threaten me! I was making my own way and just because I won't bow to his will doesn't give him any good reason to start strong-arming me." Yuffie had a gleam in her eye, and the two women felt perfectly ready to take the world on. . . again.

"Ya need any help?" Yuffie flexed a bit, but looking down she cursed. "Ah, curse everything! I'm in my 'meeting the clients' clothes. Vince said if I ruin another set of clothes, the nice ones anyway, then he'll sedate and brainwash me until I behave. Gawd! Isn't he a riot?" Tifa gave the girl a sidelong glance, one eyebrow raised, the relationship (as it were) that those two shared was mystifying.

At the knock at the back door, some logic forced its way into the angrily buzzing mind of the former fighter. "Maybe now isn't the time to talk to that creep. Food beckons, and there's plenty to do before I open. Tomorrow the bar'll be closed. I can go give him a piece of my mind then."

"I think you should do more than give him a piece of your mind. If he tries anything, just come get me 'n Vince. We're always behind you." Tifa took Yuffie's outstretched hand, and the girls grinned at one another. "A good fight is just what we need to get our spirits up anyway. See ya later." Yuffie gave a little wave and ran off to go take care of her own business.

"Hey Arnie," Tifa called as she ran towards the back. "Just drop it off in the usual spot! I'll be right there!"

* * *

Outside it was cool for autumn and people smiled as they entered the warmth and life that embodied the Rusty Wrench. The men and women who came were construction workers, Wall guards, janitors, maintenance workers, ex- soldiers, mechanics, and so on, and in Tifa's place they were right at home. She knew these people. These were her people. Some of them she knew by name, but most of them she simply knew by common experience. None of them had had easy lives and now they all shared a dingy little bar on a Saturday night to forget for just an evening how hard it all was. Tifa liked to think she helped reconstruction one drink at a time. Everyone needed to unwind, and these men and women needed it far more than the ones who sweated over mere policy rather than concrete and grease.

"Tifa! Come join us!" A red nosed auto mechanic who had been displaced from his home a few weeks ago gave a wave and a wink.

"You know I don't drink with customers!" Tifa gave a laugh as she poured a shot, grabbed a beer, and spun out a platter of whatever fried concoction table three had ordered. Her deft hands, good balance, and quick mind kept this place functioning with such a small staff: her, Yuffie, and the cook, a tall quiet man with a scar on his right cheek who rarely spoke but who everyone called Simon. Simon cooked, or rather he fried things, and he did it quickly and well so Tifa was grateful for him and he in turn was grateful to find a job after years of being a mercenary had left him with a limp and few other saleable skills. Vincent had referred him to her when she had just gotten into town, back when he and Yuffie had just been starting their own business venture and Tifa only had a glimmer of one in her eye.

While Tifa attempted not to get an oil burn on her fair skin she picked up the drunken ramblings of one man at the bar who was going to be denied any more liquor for the evening. His friend gave Tifa an embarrassed smile, and a shake of her head as if to apologize.

". . . and I wanted to march right up to him and punch him in the face but my wife, bless her heart, she stopped me. I tell you, there are some elements around here that make me ashamed to call myself an honest citizen of Jarta. I've been here since the beginning! The beginning! Do you know what that means? It means that I should have respect, but instead they kick me out of my own home." His voice rose and fell as the emotions warred with his inebriated state which seemed to want to claim his consciousness. "And I've heard things about Boss Nova. The way he doesn't come out in daylight. The way he'll only meet with people from behind a screen. And that he gets all his meals delivered to that fancy building of his, but that he only eats once a month. No one has seen his face. . . I bet he ain't even human." The woman next to him tried to quiet her friend, but he did her job for her and passed out. She caught his slumped form and with an odd little grimace hefted him up onto her shoulder and marched out.

Tifa polished a glass in the rare lull, while people quaffed and ate and laughed, to think about what the man had said. Boss Nova may be a monster, but in Tifa's experience humans were far more fearsome. Only a human would run out an entire sector of the city to turn a profit. Humans built the cities, the reactors. . . made people like Sephiroth, and Cloud. . .

The gloomy reflective thoughts were cut off as the door swung open and cold air blasted all the way over to where Tifa stood. They looked like bad sorts, but so did a lot of her friends, so she didn't hold it against them.

"Oi! You lot close that door!" The noise started up again after Yuffie's yell and soon the smack of darts and the strains of some ridiculous song gave the atmosphere a convivial feeling again. The two large men came up to the bar and looked Tifa right in the eyes; she neither looked away nor flinched.

"What's your poison?" Her smile didn't falter either and the men looked at one another quizzically.

"Beer." Came a grunt from above.

"So where do you boys work?" Yuffie asked a question silently, pulling out a dagger in a flash and then arching her eyebrows with a big smile. Tifa gave a little shake of her head. If they weren't trouble then it wouldn't do to be rude to customers for no reason.

Apparently this was a difficult question. One that took a lot of thought. They were silent until the beer was set down with a thunk in front of them. "Around." They grabbed the beer and without pausing to breathe each drained their glasses and set them down once again.

"I can see you boys are busy, I'll check back with you later."

"He wants to meet wit you." The rumble from above was startling. Tifa tried to think of what they could mean.

"Who wants to meet with me? I assure you, I'm a busy woman and I don't do well with summonses." The smile was fixed, but her eyes narrowed and beneath the counter her hands flexed.

"Boss Nova don't take no for an answer miss. Not coming with us isn't an option."

"I was planning to pay your boss a visit tomorrow, as it so happens, so he can wait until then." The land masses of goons rose from the barstools and growled low. One reached over the bar with a ham hand. "Yuffie! Backup!" The ninja was already halfway over. With a loyal hometown war cry, Yuffie had launched herself onto the back of one man and tightly wrapped the towel she kept with her to wipe down tables tightly over his eyes and nose.

The man who was grabbing at Tifa found that the target herself had vaulted over the countertop and was in the middle of a forceful punch, large smile on her face.

"I've been waiting all day for this!" Tifa's fist connected with a sound like a steel beam hitting a bag of wet cement and there was a distinctive 'oof' from above as the large man staggered back.

People, noticing the commotion but knowing better than to get involved, lined the walls and stayed quiet, with the occasional drunken cheer for Yuffie and Tifa. It only took Tifa two more shots to the belly and one to the head and the behemoth went crashing down backwards onto a table, breaking it. Mainly, rather than being annoyed about the table, she was sad that the goon had posed so little challenge. Too slow. Yuffie jumped down from the other goon, who had flailed about vainly trying to remove the pugnacious young woman. He noted his fallen compatriot.

He also noted Simon, who was just as big and carrying a large butcher knife with a dark look and a flex of muscle.

"Why don't you take your friend off my premises and don't come back. Hauling away that garbage will be payment for the beer you drank. I'll just forgive you for the table. . . that was my doing." She didn't sound too dismayed, and cracked a knuckle as she gave a pretty smile. "I'll see your boss tomorrow, and you can tell him I have plenty to say to him."

The bar filled with applause and whistles as Tifa became an even greater hero to the common person in Jarta. Albeit, most of these people were drunk, but it was nice to knew she still had enough personal power to throw someone out of her own bar. Hey, it was in self defense right?

The man slung the other over his shoulders with some difficulty as a room full of eyes watched his progress. Once he left, people began to cheer again, and order even more food and drinks. Some of them tried even harder to get Tifa to join them but, as usual, she just laughed and declined.

"What about me!" cried Yuffie. "I helped!" Her irritated yell was greeted with a drunken cheer for her as well and she beamed at everyone. "That's more like it."

* * *

Tifa looked up, and up, at the building that housed the majority of the legal and planning and who knows what other divisions of The Nova Company. It had been a few years ago that this business sprang up and soon it was ruthlessly shoving out smaller businesses and efficiently taking over contracts for various products and buildings. At the moment, from what she had been hearing on the streets, Nova was the biggest growing business in town and if they kept going like this they would be the only business in town.

But business had never really interested her, and now she was no terrorist but a small time bar owner who just wanted to be left alone. The doors slid aside for her and she eyed the large guards in suits that lined the walls every few steps.

"What a friendly atmosphere. . ." She straitened out her pants and blouse. It was the one nice outfit she owned, but even so she felt underdressed. Compared to Yuffie she was the peak of femininity but as she locked eyes with the prim lady secretary near the elevators, she could feel the penetrating disapproval. "I'm here to see Boss-I mean, I'm here to see Mr. Nova."

"I take it you are," the receptionist put on glasses, small ones, that perched precariously at the tip of her long nose. "Miss Lockhart?"

"That's me." She tried to seem friendly, even as nervousness began to make her doubt herself a little. "Where do I go?"

"Floor 15, there will be a white lounge. Take a seat there and you will be fetched. Good day." The tone did not imply that she wished Tifa anything even resembling a good day, but rather than dwelling on it Tifa simply got into a lift and pushed 15. For a moment she tried to determine why this lift was so eerie, and decided with a start it was because there was no cheesy music playing. The terrible foreboding that was clutching at her heart only multiplied at the doors opened at the 15th floor to blind her with the contents of the room.

The white lounge was true to its name, with white tables and chairs. A white couch, and white sculptures. Small indoor ponds with water cascading down a white wall, and glaring lights were on either side of the room making it all glow in a surreal manner and also making her squint. It was almost scary, and she was afraid to touch anything lest she dirty the pristine nature of the room. For once she realized how odd a total lack of color really was. Rather than chance soiling a chair, she sat on the floor and watched the water flow down one of the walls and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

She was getting very irritated. The room hurt her eyes and for some reason was giving her the feeling of vertigo. She had been pacing around after her legs had fallen asleep twice as she sat, and she nearly fell into one of the ponds already. The room was also cold, but then what else should she have expected? A mug of cocoa? Magazines? This was business and he was making her wait to throw off her ability to negotiate. The problem was that her ability to negotiate was not that good to begin with and this was just pissing her off. When the white doors opposite to the elevator opened, at last, she had been minutes away from punching them into little splinters.

"Mr. Nova will see you now, Miss Lockhart." The aide looked placid. He was dressed in a black suit, and Tifa was grateful for the relief he provided to her eyes after nearly two hours in the horrible white room.

"It's about damn time." She mumbled it, but loudly enough for the aide to hear. She wasn't the sort of person to hide her malice for any reason. Dishonesty was as unnatural for her as running from a fight.

Through the black hallway, she felt as if she had moved underground and struggled to see. What was next? Grey? Sadly, her assumption proved correct. The room she emerged in after the long black hallway was simply a grey room with grey furniture that was only relieved by a brown desk and green chair in the corner. The aide announced her name and then withdrew, closing the doors behind him.

"Miss Lockhart, I must admit, I was startled to learn that the owner of the small bit of bar that prevents me from starting my next major project was one of the famous saviors of the planet. You all have kept a very low profile, and it seems to some that maybe you are really just a legend. I know better-there is always some truth in the legend and you all touched far too many lives to be mere imagination." The voice was familiar, but Tifa couldn't place it. Probably he just sounded like every other politician she had had the displeasure to come across. His chair remained swiveled around, facing the large window behind the desk.

"Look, Mr. Nova, I'm glad you think I'm real, but if you know I'm real then you should talk to me like a normal person, face to face." She walked forward; she was no longer afraid now that the butterflies in her stomach had disintegrated against the force of the acidic bile of her ire.

"Ah, Miss Lockhart, gentle as always." The chair turned around and Tifa blinked a few times to make sure what she was seeing was real. The voice and the face aligned with an old memory that played out like a grainy home movie in her head. She spoke the name without thinking.

"Shinra. . ." It was him, except for the lack of distinctive white trenchcoat. But no slate grey suit could hide who he was.

"Excuse me? What did you say?" His face was impassive, eyes sleepy looking as he carefully took in her appearance since she had moved up to his desk while he had spoken.

"Rufus Shinra."

"I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else. My name is Nova." Tifa seemed like she was about to argue, but then got a perplexed look on her face. Her past was trying to reassert itself, but now was not the time to think about Sephiroth, or Jenova, or most especially Cloud. Rufus had been a side note in her life, a brief flash of evil, and right now she was working hard to avoid coming back to that past as a whole.

"Whatever. . ." she pushed her emotional baggage aside and tried to tackle the problem at hand. "Now I want you to stop threatening me and harassing me or I'll have to go to the authorities." She slammed one hand down on his desk a little too hard and had the grace to look slightly off put when it made an audible cracking noise. Tifa withdrew the fist almost apologetically before putting on a fierce scowl.

"I need that land your bar occupies, Miss Lockhart. I would forget about bothering with it and go ahead with construction, but I need to own a block all around the proposed hotel site before I can get approval for construction. Maybe we could come to some sort of compromise." His voice stayed bland, and not once did a smile even touch the corners of his mouth, but the tone was so smooth you could pour it in coffee. "I don't have time today, but if you would meet me for dinner. . ."

"Hell no, we solve this now." She almost hit the desk again, but stopped short and simply clenched her fist and put it against her side, arms stiff.

His mouth quirked a moment as if a smile had tried to start and then died on the way to his lips. "You are being unreasonable. I am offering you a civilized solution, and merely explaining that I do not have the time to outline it at the moment. If you had time last night it would be a different story, but-"

"Your minions tried to kidnap me!"

"A miscommunication. They have been disciplined, I assure you." He took out a piece of paper and grabbed an expensive looking pen from its holder on the desk. With a few flourishes he had the note finished and handed it to the skeptical woman who warily examined it.

The beautiful, precise cursive read: '8:30, The Reactor' and she vaguely recognized the name of the posh restaurant uptown. She'd never be able to justify eating somewhere so expensive when there were thousands of people just getting by. She had made a fair amount of money in her travels, and even though she spent a fair amount to buy some property and start up her bar she was still comfortable. Going to a restaurant where a bowl of soup cost as much as she made in a week was not her idea of fun. But it wasn't supposed to be about fun, it was about him keeping her at a disadvantage. Well, she'd show him.

"I'll see you tonight, then." With more confidence then she thought she had, she crumpled up the paper and threw it at him. She only blinked when his left hand snapped it up before it hit his eye.

"Then good day, Miss Lockhart."

"Same to you Mr. Shinra."

"Nova."

"Whatever."


	2. Chapter 2

Tifa stormed out of the building, past the suits, past the snooty receptionist, and out the door into the brisk day. She shrugged off the cold because, as usual, she was heated by her own force of conviction and a healthy dose of confusion as well. No matter who Nova insisted he was, she was sure he had to be Rufus Shinra. The shock of that realization was just starting to set in. He was supposed to be dead, but there he was sitting there more alive than a lot of people Tifa knew to be living. It wasn't fair! Once you blew up a whole section of a continent, you expected those caught in the blast to stay dead. Why should he survive? Why should he not only survive, but make his way to Jarta to obviously rebuild his empire?!

Though she wasn't a stupid girl, deep thinking was not something she often indulged in. Her wisdom tended to lie more on the practical side rather than the philosophical side and trying to divine the motives of someone like Rufus Shinra sounded like it was a little out of her league. Lucky for her, she had some idea who she needed to talk to, and she had already planned on going in that direction.

As she left the downtown central area she was assaulted by buildings that were not half as large or even as new. The architecture style had not changed all that much over the years, but there were noticeable touches. A revival of a sort of gothic style had been on the way in Jarta when it was fashionable to construct with clean lines and smooth glass. As a result, the old downtown seemed like a foreign place with gargoyles for rain sluices and stone blocks making the buildings look rough and lumpy. Even if she was never really comfortable in something that felt so old, Tifa knew how to navigate without thinking about how this stone lion or that marble dragon was giving her the evil eye. When she got to a great serpent, who brought back memories of desperate desert battles, she walked through its arching coils into a shop that proudly proclaimed 'we keep your interests safe'. White Wyrm Insurance was the brain child of Vincent and Yuffie, who had found themselves at a loose end once the planet was safe.

Yuffie hadn't known what to do with herself. Materia had proved to be a futile source of power, even if they ended up being a nice source of wealth. Somehow, after the whole Meteor ordeal, they just stopped working. Now materia were only valuable as memorabilia and sometimes set into jewelry. The common stones were rare enough to be worth roughly what a nice diamond or ruby would bring in, but most people who owned them during the incident all those years ago were rather unwilling to part with the rarer ones and hence there wasn't much open market trading of them. Tifa herself still had several of her own material, and even if she were down to her last gil she would not be persuaded to sell some of them. The summons had a special place in her heart, they were like fellow fighters, and she would starve before she would sell a friend like that.

Vincent and Yuffie had brokered the sale of a Regen materia and after that had done well enough with their business never to need to sell any more than that first one. Vincent had never had any real goals or purpose after they finished their mission and when Yuffie had gone off to make her way in the world he had simply followed her without asking. Now they had been working together for so long, Yuffie simply took his presence for granted. Tifa suspected that each harbored some affection for the other, but she wasn't about to interfere and upset the delicate balance of willful ignorance they had constructed. Vincent was most likely just biding his time until Yuffie got a little more mature, but considering the advances Yuffie had been subjected to over the past few years by amorous young men Tifa thought that he had better not wait too much longer.

"Welcome! Oh, it's just you Tifa." Yuffie was tossing throwing daggers at a mangled dart board. She propped her feet back up on the desk she was behind, and hit another bullseye to add to the cluster already in the middle. Surrounded by weapons on the walls and beneath the counter, she seemed totally unaffected and at home in such a bizarre location for a girl who practically royalty at her hometown.

"Gee, I feel loved, thanks a lot." Sundays were always a slow day, but Vincent insisted that they were to be open seven days a week. Not six. Not six and a half. Seven. Yuffie always complained, but when she wasn't working she was getting herself into trouble and even Tifa was glad that there was a job that could keep her somewhat flaky friend's attention held in one place. "Don't you want to know how the meeting went?"

Yuffie missed the dart board entirely. "Holy. . . Holy! I thought you were just on your way there not coming back! Did you give ugly ol' Boss Nova some of your patented kick ass?!" Yuffie leapt up on the desk in her excitement.

"No, unfortunately. Can you get down from there? I have to tell you something serious. In fact, I need to see Vincent too. Where is he?" Yuffie got down from the desk, put a sign up on the door, and motioned for Tifa to follow her in to the back room. If Tifa needed to talk to Vincent then this was no easy matter, a rare frown graced Yuffie's mouth.

Vincent was sharpening weapons, the steady scraping noise familiar and soothing to his nerves. Guarding shipments of goods from monster attack was nothing compared to keeping Yuffie from nearly killing herself in battle. Her recklessness kept life interesting and more often than not her tendency towards showmanship kept the customers coming back, so he couldn't really complain. As Tifa walked in, he noted her with a flickering glance and finished the sword he was working on before standing and nodding in her direction.

"Tifa, a pleasure, as always. What brings you here?" His voice was gritty, making him seem older than he looked. Even so, Tifa had never been afraid of the gunman.

"I met with Nova." Vincent's eyes glowed a moment with interest. He asked no questions but clearly this was news to him. "From what I can tell, and despite many reasons to find this ridiculous, I think that the man who calls himself Nova is in reality Rufus Shinra."

"But Mr. 'I'm so cool' Shinra died in the blast from Weapon." Yuffie snorted.

"I know, I saw it too, but unless he had an identical twin brother we don't know about then that's Rufus Shinra sure as I'm Tifa Lockhart." Vincent glanced up as if he was thinking about something. Everyone was silent as the women waited expectantly for some words of wisdom from the deep thinker among them.

"I've suspected this for some time. From some of the comments of our more prominent clients, I had assumed that this was the most likely eventuality. It is unfortunate that you know him and have to deal with him, and this puts you in a terribly dangerous position, Tifa. Now Shinra has even more reasons to rid himself of you, as it were." Vincent spread out his hand apologetically.

Yuffie turned purple as she took a deep breath to yell. "And why was I told this?!"

"I only had suspicions. I don't trade in rumors, Yuffie." His words bit into Yuffie's rage and deflated it as quickly as it begun. The ninja looked ashamed and stayed silent now, looking at the floor.

"What should I do? I have to meet him for dinner tonight. You don't think he'll try to kill me tonight do you?"

"Does he know you know who he is?"

Tifa gulped as she thought of her outburst in his office. "Oh yes."

"Then I would say it would be very likely. Just don't be left alone with him. Would you like us to accompany you? I for one would feel better if we were there." Vincent had always been so concerned and considerate, like an older brother, and Tifa felt a renewed flash of affection for the often emotionless man.

"No, I can take care of myself. We'll be in a public area. I just wanted to tell you guys, and ask if maybe you can get me some information on Shinra. . . if you can." Vincent nodded, silently promising to help that much. "And. . ." This part was slightly more embarrassing. "To borrow Yuffie's dress."

"You wanna what?!" Yuffie look dismayed at the request.

"You have a dress?" Vincent arched a fine eyebrow and tried to look into the blushing face of his partner.

"So? I had to buy one for when a friend of the family came to check up on me a year or so ago. Tifa helped me buy it and after I wore it for dinner I tossed it somewhere and forgot all about it." She gave a piercing look at Tifa that said that she would have liked it better if Tifa had forgotten about it too. "Real ninja's don't wear dresses."

"Well, just lend it to me for today and then you can go back to forgetting it again. I don't have anything to wear to somewhere as posh as The Reactor." Yuffie and Vincent looked at Tifa with surprise, yet again. It was the day for it apparently.

"He's takin' you there?" Yuffie gave a low whistle. "I'd look out if I were you. Only high powered snobs go there. I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like that."

"Just lend me the dress." Tifa wasn't in the mood to argue. Yuffie gave a little nod and they made their way out of Vincent's work room.

"I'll be back in a bit, Vince. Take over my spot out front, ok?" He heard the door to the shop open and close.

"You have a dress?" Vincent said, helplessly to the empty room.

* * *

Now that she was here, Tifa felt like an idiot. The green dress that had been somewhat loose on Yuffie's spare form stuck on Tifa like a second skin. The deep emerald green was striking, and the form it outline was similarly striking and the admiring glances she received from several old looking men whose bellies seemed to extend well beyond the bounds of her expectations. If she had it her way, she would have smacked them for obviously undressing her with their eyes, but it was somehow also comforting to know that she hadn't worn something unflattering. Then again, Yuffie had voiced her worries fairly succinctly when she had said 'damn, Tif, you look like a lady.' Coming from Yuffie, those words were less admirable than they could have been from someone else.

The head waiter met her and asked her for her reservation.

"I'm with Mr. Nova." Even the waiter looked like he was from a higher class than she was. Again she cursed the false stratification of society that money caused, and the class consciousness that had been ingrained into her because of it. She refused to let it daunt her. People were people, and these were just people with a lot of money and a lot of ego.

The instant respect that lot the man's eyes made her want to smack him. It shouldn't work that way. She should be worth just as much regardless of who she knew. What a stupid world.

"Right this way, madam." Through the twisting floor plan, Tifa looked at who else was dining at various tables. There was an elderly couple, distinguished, carefully eating salad with fork and knife. A middle aged man and his suspiciously young wife dug into a plate of mushrooms stuffed with some mixture, and the simpering young lady dripped with jewels that Tifa thought would comprise at least half of the lady's weight. A family was at a booth, surrounded by exotic looking plants, and the children were fighting about something as the parents ignored them. Nova was nowhere to be seen. As they exited the main dining area, Tifa got a little nervous. The waiter stopped a room with sliding doors, and revealed Nova alone at a two person table, clutched as usual with his eternal ennui.

"Sir." He gave a little bow. "Madam." Another little bow. "I'll be in for your orders in a few moments." The door shut behind him and the room grew darker, only lit by low lamps in each corner. A beautiful forest had been pained on the walls, and she concentrated on that rather than the blond man who rose in front of her.

"You're late, Miss Lockhart." He pulled out her chair. She chose not to make eye contact.

"I forgot what time you had written down." She answered honestly, her bravado of earlier now seeming childish in light of her forgetfulness. "I'm sorry."

"Quite all right. A gentleman expects a lady to be fashionably late, after all. Though an hour is a little uncommon." After Tifa sat down he returned to his side of the table. "What do you think of the room?"

"It's lovely. It makes me miss the forest. Then again, I liked everywhere I traveled, but I have some fond memories of camping out in the forest. It wasn't cold like the desert or mountains at night, and it wasn't loud and windy like the plains. Plus, when it rained, it was always nice to have a tress to block some of it." She tried to stop the words, but nervousness sometimes forced her to make a fool of herself.

"I'm afraid I never really had the time or inclination to travel like that. You certainly make it sound. . . rustic." His eyes had not left her direction, though she noticed them pull up to meet her eyes at the last second. So he had noticed the way the dress was straining to hold in her cleavage as well. Somehow it comforted her to think that at least he was human and male enough to stare at her breasts even if he was a ruthless and unforgiving bastard in many other ways.

"I assure you it was some of the best times of my life." They were, too, and she stayed unabashedly honest as she had been since she walked in the door. "What about you, Mr. Nova? What was one of the best times of your life?"

"It has all been fairly similar. I don't usually set such a sentimental value system on my experiences." He picked up the glass of wine that sat in front of him and took a long drink. "But you speak with such passion you almost make me wish I did, Miss Lockhart." Her name was a purr, and Tifa wondered if he was trying to seduce her. If so, then he had a long way to go yet. A very Yuffie-ish snort escaped her at the thought of this man trying to seduce her. Not that he wasn't handsome. . . in that villainous way, of course.

"Is something I said amusing to you, Miss Lockhart?"

"Not really, Mr. Nova." Like she would explain that last thought. This night was already uncomfortable enough. Maybe her uneasy state was far too obvious, because Nova looked completely at home and in control. Of course that idea just made Tifa scowl even harder.

His smile was faint, and as he leaned forward some thin blond hair fell into his eyes from the smooth quaff. "I assure you, I am not trying to do anything underhanded here, Miss Lockhart. I simply wanted to meet somewhere less formal where we could discuss things in a relaxed manner. Please, look at the menu and decided on something to eat. Tonight is on me, of course."

It was like some sort of twisted date, Tifa thought to herself. She skimmed the names of food, most of them foreign and unpronounceable, and reflected on that. When was the last time she went on a real date? One with someone she was in interested in? Years at least, but she was having trouble remembering an exact instance. Her musing was interrupted by someone clearing their throat behind her.

"What would madam like this evening?" It was with great difficulty that she stopped her automatic response of rolling to the side and kicking for the knees. When had the waiter returned? She should have sensed it or heard it. Irritation at how out of it her instincts were at the moment multiplied when she realized she had not really thought about what to eat. She would make this as expensive as possible for that bastard Nova, if it killed her to eat every bite.

"I'll have this, this, and this." Tifa pointed and watched as the well trained man simply took down her order without a second thought.

"And sir has ordered previously, correct?" Nova gave a lofty nod. "Your appetizer will be in after a moment."

"Appetizer?" Nova gave Tifa a look. She had no idea what she had ordered and it was news to her too.

"Yes." Tifa gave a bland smile. "Now, shall we get down to business? I want to know what this compromise is that you are so convinced is a perfect solution."

His eyes locked on hers, washed out blue on cinnamon, and Tifa found that she was regarding this whole evening like a bout in a ring. Even looking at him, it was a contest of will, and frankly it was a lot more trouble than just slugging it out with this guy.

"Miss Lockhart, it is terrible to discuss business before dinner, can't you just allow me the pleasure of getting to know you a bit better? I promise you that after a meal, we will both feel much more amiable." Tifa blew at her bangs in more than slight exasperation. "Or perhaps you could tell me what you think of me, instead. You're confrontational nature is most diverting."

"I'm not here to amuse you." This was entirely unacceptable. She just wanted to get out of here and he was trying to make small talk?

"I'm sorry I implied that, but I merely. . ."

"You want to know what I think of you?" She interrupted him and tried to sit comfortably in this dress, with minimal success. Her patience, thin at best, was about ready to snap. "I think you are sleaze. I think that you shoved out a large proportion of a population that can't defend itself just so you could make another dollar. I think that I've met you before and didn't like you then, just as I don't like you now. We are different people who want totally different things and I don't even know why I agreed to meet you tonight." She took a breath, chest heaving from her sudden loud outburst.

"Well, Miss Lockhart," he said, a genuine smile gracing his features for the first time since she had encountered him today. "Do you feel better now?" He didn't seem at all shocked by her fit. That doused her inner fire as if he had thrown a bucket of water on her. Now she just felt small.

"I suppose this is just another thing for you to laugh at, but you must understand that my bar is all I have in the world. It's my purpose. And so is helping people, which I can do through my bar. When I see you coming in and taking it all away from me step by step, I can't help but be defensive." Tifa twisted her napkin in her hand and looked down at its convolutions. All she could do was vocalize what was in her heart, and often it was more powerful than she realized. Nova's eyes flashed something that gave him a moment of pause while he analyzed it, before he finally spoke.

"Do you remember. . . what am I saying, of course you remember when Midgar fell." Tifa looked up to find that Nova was looking to his left at the wall and sipping from his wine glass. "I lost everything that day, and when I arrived here in Jarta I was just like those people you say you want to protect: poor, helpless, a nobody. I've built up an empire from nothing and I have a lot riding on my completion of this hotel: reputation and capital. Right now I am at a precarious time, when things are still solidifying, but I've built all this with my own power and I won't let anyone take it away from me." His hand tightened and the fragile stem of the wine glass shattered in his grasp as wine and blood mixed on the white tablecloth. Nova glanced at the wound in annoyance and simply turned to regard Tifa again with that impassive stare.

"Miss Lockhart, now do you understand that my will is as strong as yours in this?"

"I guess," Tifa said, choosing her words carefully. "I guess we aren't that different after all."

"Appetizers." The waiter opened the door and set down a tray of something that still appeared to be, er, wiggling. "Would sir like me to get help?" The waiter seemed perfectly calm in the face of Nova's bleeding hand.

"Just get me another glass of wine and a clean napkin, thank you." He waited for the man to leave and then without even the slightest sign that he was feeling pain he cleaned out the wound with his water, squeezed the lemon on it from the water and then bound it with his napkin. Tifa's eyes were wide as she watched. It was just like when had traveled with Cloud. Once she had watched him, when they had been short on healing droughts, bind his own broken arm with a similar stoic efficiency.

"Do you know what this is?" She pointed to the still squirming dish.

"No idea. You ordered it." He seemed amused again. "Is it not what you ordered?"

"Um." Would it be bad to say yes? He'd know it was a lie, but admitting to ordering things out of spite was just as bad in its own way. "Look. . ."

He waved his bound right hand, dismissing her confession. "Don't worry about it, Miss Lockhart. I won't make you eat anything I myself wouldn't be willing to try, and right now I don't feel like fighting my dinner before I eat it." Tifa laughed a little at that.

The rest of dinner continued without mishap. Through salad and the main course (which turned out to be fairly common and most certainly dead and cooked) they spoke little and most of it was just commenting on the food. Tifa found herself staring ever now and again at the man so meticulously eating his meal. Even the way he ate was refined and she did her best to just remember which forks to use.

It occurred to her that he even looked a little like Cloud. Well, he was a little taller and a little less muscular. Oh, and the hair was lighter as were the eyes. But there was just something about him that reminded her of her disappeared boyfrien. . . no he wasn't that anymore. No one who left without notice and didn't contact her for 5 years could be considered to still hold such a claim on her heart.

'But he does, somehow, doesn't he?' she gave herself a mental slap and set down her silverware. She wasn't hungry anymore.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Nova hadn't looked at her, but somehow she got the sense that he had been aware that she had been staring at him for quite some time.

"The food is fine, thank you, I am simply full."

"I hope you saved room for dessert. I took the liberty of ordering it before you even got here. We can enjoy it while I explain what my proposition is to you." When he put it like that it only made Tifa more nervous. This was the evening for conflicting feelings apparently. She was left to stew in her own fidgeting world until some attendants came in to clear away the food and bring in the dessert. All inclination to decline it on principle dispelled when she sighted the luscious pile of chocolate mousse that was placed in front of her. It was decorated with little flakes of white chocolate on its peak as if it were a small mountain. She had always had a soft spot for chocolate, which is why she almost never bought it.

"Are you ready to talk, Miss Lockhart?"

"Mmm?" She tore her eyes away from the beautiful sight of dessert and started to wonder if this devilish man had any idea of the devastating effect he was having on her in conjunction with the temping confection.

"Since you refuse to vacate your bar, and I refuse to build somewhere else, I propose we move your entire bar exactly fifty yards so that you are out of the building zone. Then I can go ahead and get the area zoned properly and my hotel built. I'll even pay for the move." This was too good to be true. Tifa forced her hand away from the small spoon that had been delivered with the mousse and looked up.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. You simply have to sign a contract that essentially promises that if you take action against the building of the hotel, terrorist or otherwise, then I will gain immediate control of your bar, your assets, everything." Tifa gasped a little. He obviously was making reference to her time in AVALANCHE. It was an unexpected blow, and one which could still get her into a fair bit of trouble even now. Those days were over and she was no longer involved in violent protests, but even so she didn't like her rights being limited.

"I'll have to think about it, as I'm not sure if I can agree to those conditions so readily. You could always frame me and just take my bar and save yourself all this trouble." When it came to treachery, she could be wary even if that wasn't how she thought normally. This man, however, was not her friend.

"I promise you, Miss Lockhart, I would not do something so dishonest. And of course that is simply a rough way of putting it. I am just offering a compromise for the price of your cooperation. And this way you can keep your. . . Rusty Wrench." He said the words as if they were filthy. Tifa, who had been wavering on the side of liking this self made man, suddenly recalled why she hated him. How could she even start comparing him to Cloud? Then again, these days he wasn't exactly high on her list of favorite people. Maybe the analogy could still stand.

"Mr. Nova, you have a deal. I won't protest against your hotel, and you will move my bar and go back to acting like I, and the rest of my class, don't exist. Good evening." She rose, with great force of will to ignore the beautiful shining dessert that lay untouched. Nova rose with her, like the gentleman she doubted he was.

"I'll have a lawyer bring the contract around for you to sign the day after tomorrow, Miss Lockhart. Good evening." He held out his hand, and Tifa grasped it as if to give a regular handshake but he turned it and brought her hand to his lips. She withdrew it as soon as his lips pressed against her knuckled, somewhat embarrassed and turned in a swirl of hair to let herself out. "You look very lovely tonight, by the way Miss Lockhart." Her cheeks flushed as she pulled open the screen door.

"Thanks." She bit out as she swiftly made her way out of the restaurant and away from HIM.

The evening hadn't been a total loss, at least she would get to keep her bar. She thought to herself as the lift went down and flashing lights illuminated her face in stripes as she flew down past each level. But contracts and legalese were not something she wanted to deal with. It would be best to consult Vincent. Then again, Vincent was at heart a soldier as well, and he only knew what he had gathered over the past few years. No, she could handle this herself. Tifa had faith that her own power was enough.

Now, if she could just convince her brain of that as well as her heart then she would be in good shape.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gawd this premise was flimsy. Thanks for reading my old!fic.

The apartment was unearthly white. It hurt her eyes to look at it. Overhead lights shone down on couches, plush and inviting, and tables and countertops where a bar resided. The bottles were even white, glazed to match the room, and they provided no relief for her eyes. The windows faced west, and Tifa watched the sun set with some dread.

She hadn't put on the dress. Nor would she put on the dress any time soon. She would fight him tooth and nail until Vincent and Yuffie found a way to get her out of here. Legally, preferably, but there was no precedent and facing his lawyers would be a chore and a half.

'I'll be back sometime after dark. I won't give you a time because there is no way I could stick to it. Wear the dress or else.'

Such delightful parting words from her husband.

Even saying the word in her mind caused a reaction to filter from her toes to her head. A shiver of some emotion, fragmented and obscure. She might have called it hate at one time, but it was getting mixed up with other less easily identified aspects. It was almost enough to make a girl do something drastic.

Then again, drastic action is just what got her into this fix in the first place.

* * *

"See? No rips. I didn't even crack my knuckles. You happy now?" Tifa handed back Yuffie her dress, glad that the stretchy material had not permanently preserved a mold of her figure.

"Ya know I wasn't really worried bout the dress, right?" Yuffie gave a curiously pained expression upon receiving back the both hated and cherished article of clothing.

They sat in the house that Vincent and she rented from a little old lady. At first Yuffie and Vincent had had separate residences when they had first gotten to Jarta, but while they were in the throws of starting up their business, Vincent ended up staying over on the couch downstairs so many times that the food he had bought actually rotted in his apartment. The landlady had not been thrilled by the idea of a man moving in, but Vincent was always a perfect gentleman and since both he and Yuffie occupied obviously different rooms she had approved. The old lady had moved out a year ago when her joints had been too deep in the throws of arthritis to make it up the stairs without great difficulty. Now, the house was somewhat less clean and more lived in, but still held up well since Yuffie and Vincent mostly just used it for food and sleep, and if they were on a big job not even that.

"It just don't feel right to me. From what you and I know about this Nova guy, he is not only a bad guy but he's damned smart and powerful, and you're gonna put your pen to a contract of HIS making?" Yuffies struggled to put the dress on a hanger and she kicked some boots out of the way and into her closet. "I don't like it at all."

"Don't worry about me, Yuffie, I can do this. I have to do this. People always try to hold my hand when I make decisions like this." Perhaps for good reason, was what her traitorous mind added silently.

"I'd feel better about it if you let Vince take a look at things, but we just a huge job. Can't refuse it without grave insult and he's a longtime customer. Didn't expect him to leave town so soon actually. . ." Yuffie finally managed to hang up the dress, and then glanced up at empty hangers and down at all the clothing at her feet that should have been on said hangers. "Bah. We're tough, the two of us. If we can take a bar full of rowdy Turks or a forest full of monsters, then I'm sure you can take down some horrid little man."

"As always, so complimentary. . ." Vincent stood in the doorway, ready to leave, arms crossed. Yuffie grabbed some clothes and stuffed them into a bag along with some random other supplies.

"Sorry 'bout the Turks comment, Vince. Ya know what I mean." Yuffie continued to pack frantically, as she always did before the longer trips. "Now, Tifa, you aren't gonna get into trouble while we're away a couple days right?"

Tifa snorted. "It's me Yuffie, how could you even ask?" A smile broke out almost spontaneously. "Of COURSE I'll get in trouble!" The girls laughed and made their way downstairs, Vincent like a shadow behind them. Yuffie ran ahead after a goodbye while Vincent locked up the house. It wasn't really necessary since everyone in the district knew who they were and anyone who stole from them would have to be suicidal, but he did it to maintain a sense of normalcy in a life that would probably never be normal for him.

Vincent had safely placed his keys back into a pocket in that mysteriously voluminous cloak of his, and then regarded Tifa for a harrowing moment. "Are you sure you have nothing to tell me about Shinra?" His eyes seemed to see into her soul and she shivered. Tifa had chosen not to tell Vincent that she and Nova had already come to an agreement, and she swore Yuffie to secrecy as well. If Vincent knew, he would drop everything and stay here to make sure he helped her out. He was that kind of friend, and Tifa understood that better than anyone because she was that kind of friend too. However, right now that loyalty could cost him his reputation, and maybe even bring him to the attention of a man who could possibly cause him a lot of trouble. Even so, the motivation was also selfish because she wanted to prove to herself that she could do this. No, sending him along was for the best.

"Nothing. When I know something from now on then you'll be the first to know." It was a technically true statement.

"Take care." Vincent swept away and Tifa waved and laughed a little as she saw Yuffie bouncing around impatiently, waiting for him to catch up.

Tifa slowly made her way back to the bar and began to clean up, like she always did, and reflected on what was going to happen. Soon this little bar would be uprooted and transplanted somewhere else and a great hotel would grow above it and shadow it. Even if it attracted patrons from the hotel, she wasn't sure she liked the idea. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that in some ways Nova had already won. Her regulars would feel less and less comfortable and stop coming once more tourists found their way into her doors. Maybe all was not lost. Maybe she could foster an atmosphere where the rich and the poorer elements could come together. Her bar could be equal opportunity. She could even rename it. . . The Citizen's Den. It would be an interesting, and it would take a lot of work, but it had been a while since had something to involve herself with like her days in AVALANCHE.

The knock at the door confused her, and she extracted herself from packing the freezer in back with blocks of meat only to greet a little old man, dressed impeccably, seeming to buzz a little with nervous energy, glasses perched on the tip of his nose. In his hand he clutched a briefcase. As Tifa opened the door, he walked right in and opened the case with snaps and clicks, only to start stacking papers on the newly cleaned off table. He clicked a pen impatiently as he noted Tifa still standing there in shock, door open.

"Well," The man's voice quavered with a whine. "Aren't you going to look them over?"

Tifa shut the door and took off her gloves, sticking them in her apron's pocket, as she walked over to the man who seemed to be shaking with nervous energy from his balding head to his expensive shoes. "And who might you be?"

"I, Miss Lockhart, am Mr. Valen. Senior partner from Valen, Valen, and Gatz. We represent the interests of Mr. Nova and have the contract he asked for prepared. Though I absolutely abhor rush jobs like this. I don't approve at all." He took out a pristine handkerchief and snuffled into it before folding it back up and putting it away. Tifa pulled the papers towards her in the meantime.

The papers made her head spin. The legal jargon seemed to spiral and wave in front of her eyes and she could barely make sense of it. She could hardly believe that she was literate the way she didn't retain any of what was important other than the sense that she was the 'party of the first part'. . . that is unless she was the 'party of the second part.' Maybe sending Vincent away had been a bad decision. Looking over at the lawyer, she decided to trust the little man and ask him what this was actually saying.

"As per your agreement, as Mr. Nova outlined it to me this morning, I have drawn up a contract that stipulates that he will fund the move and relocation of your bar on the condition that you agree to never take terrorist action against his hotel, active or otherwise." Tifa figured it was something like that. It made sense, but it seemed like a lot of pages to simply say that much.

"Nothing else? What are the consequences of my breaking my side of the agreement?" This of course was the crucial point. The little man began to sweat as well as shake and he snuffled into his handkerchief again, withdrawing it and then refolding it again after use.

"A penalty? Yes of course. The loss of your bar, as well as recompense for any damages he sustains from said action." It seemed reasonable enough.

"And that's what it says? You swear on your life that this contract says that?" She allowed some of her natural fighting spirit to manifest and the little man practically crumpled in fear before her.

"It's all in the contract, I swear! Just don't hurt me!" Tifa gave an exasperated sigh and she grabbed the pen out of his hand and he whimpered. She signed and initialed the parts that had been highlighted for her to do so in. When she finished he packed up the papers, took back the pen, and started to leave.

Tifa felt that somehow this had all gone very wrong. "Wait! Don't I get a copy of the contract too?" Her brows knit together and the little man started to cower, even halfway across the room from her.

"You can request a copy from the office tomorrow once we have processed the papers. Now good day, Miss Lockhart. The workers will come tomorrow and start measuring and preparing for the move. I suggest you make plans." He scurried off, like a small rodent, and Tifa briefly hoped he wouldn't have a heart attack on the way back to his office.

What a distinctly odd man. What a distinctly odd morning.

Strangely, she had the vague feeling of dread, like that sapping of her strength the few times she had been poisoned in battle. Why had the contract come today when Nova said it would come tomorrow? It seemed like her brain was trying to scream something at her, something sitting right in front of her, but she just couldn't grasp it. With a shake of her head she dislodged her gloomy musings and took out her gloves, stained red from the meat she had been handling. The shelves of the freezer weren't going to stock themselves.

* * *

Builders came in droves the next day. Tifa, who had announced to the bar clientele last night of the impending move to mixed reactions, was there. She was grumpy and edgy at the way the architects and engineers walked around with disdain in their eyes at such a complex undertaking for such a shabby building. They quoted figures at her, dimensions, weights, what could be moved separately, what electrical grid amenities she would need, what sewage line she would be connected to. . . ad nauseam. When she didn't know what they were talking about as the jargon turned deliberately technical, she imagined herself back in bed, looking at the stars outside.

Part of what made the mornings so difficult for her was the fact that she rarely slept much anymore. Her body wasn't exactly happy with this, but sometimes she had to take a sleeping drought to make sure she got enough to function. The doctors had said it was stress, and last night had certainly been one of the most stressful in weeks. The more she had thought about it, the more she suspected something had gone wrong yesterday. Compounded with the fact that Yuffie's replacement couldn't come in last night had made for a harried and overworked Tifa.

". . . so you see the way the wiring here is set up you'll have to . . ." She nodded again. She had been nodding all morning. It was getting to the point where she wondered if her head would just detach and fall in the dirt at her feet.

"Miss Lockhart!" With a start she regarded the foreman who gave her an irritated glance. "I know you haven't been listening, but you need to know this point. We will set things up as much as possible today and we will actually set up the transport and move it tomorrow. The day after tomorrow we will hook up all your utilities and then you can open up again. You can go now, you don't need to do anything more. Good day." The foreman shouted an order to someone else and Tifa looked on in wonder at the power of money. Her entire livelihood could be moved in a mere three days. Yuffie and Vincent would get home the day she opened up again.

Hm. It occurred to her that if she was going to change the name, which she was still set on doing, then she would have to either make or order a new sign. As she turned around she smacked into a man running with blue prints and fell backwards onto the ground. Apologizing quickly, he kept running.

"Need a hand?" The voice came from above and Tifa recognized it before she ever saw the face that accompanied it.

"Sure. Thanks." There was no need to be spiteful when he was the one paying for all of this.

"I just came by to see how everything was going. My men seem to be taking care of everything beautifully. Many of the same are slated to work on my hotel. They know that as soon as this is out of the way then their real work will begin." There was something akin to smug satisfaction in his tone.

Tifa dusted herself off then crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry to be 'in the way.' Next time I'll buy a bar in a more convenient part of town." Her words sounded so sour and her lips were so puckered that Nova almost laughed, stopping himself before it escaped with an inwardly questioning look.

He seemed to consider his word a moment, he leaned towards her and spoke quietly into her ear, his voice firmly standing out over the noise regardless. "I know you don't like me, Miss Lockhart, and I assure you I don't care whether or not you don't like me, but know this: I am doing you a favor. I could have squashed you like a bug, dispossessed you of your property and the property of your friends, but instead I did things in a reasonable way, in a fair way, and I think you should give me at least a little credit if not gratitude."

How did he always manage to make her feel so small? So petty? Fine, she was being childish. Some of it was grounded in sour feelings that existed long before today. "Rufus. . ." The words slipped out as her eyes softened for the heartfelt apology she knew she owed him, even as she watched his money bleed away to help her bar. "I'm sorry for treating you so badly."

At the sound of the name 'Rufus', Nova blanched. "I accept your apology, Miss Lockhart, but I suggest you never use that name in my presence again. My name is Mr. Nova. This Mr. Shinra you keep insisting upon referencing is a stranger to me. If Rufus Shinra had been dealing with you, then you would probably be dead right now." His smile was back to being cold and disaffected and he walked away, dust somehow not attaching to his charcoal colored suit as he spoke to the foreman. The foreman looked nervous.

"I know how he feels." Tifa mumbled. "That Nova, every time I talk to him it's like I'm being tested. . . and getting a failing grade."

* * *

Yuffie just stood there. "Holy shit. . ." She experienced a moment of guilt for swearing in front of Vincent, but then remembered that he had probably heard far worse in his day and so said it again just for good measure. "Holy shit."

"Congratulations Tifa, I'm surprised indeed. Does the new location suit you?" Vincent patted her on the back, about as close as he ever got to hugging her, and surveyed the newly renovated bar.

"From what I can tell, they fixed the fridge and the fryer, and everything else is just as good as it ever was if not better. That light in the back doesn't mysteriously blink when you run the garbage disposal anymore too. I think I already miss it though." Her laugh was only a little strained. The rush to get things in place and set up had been horrible and she had slept even less than usual. The bags under her eyes were obvious, but they were excusable.

"Holy shit. . ."

"I wish you had let me look at the contract before you signed it, are you sure the man was telling you the truth when you asked him questions?" Vincent looked around, admiring the new spit and polish that had gone into this simple place which his friend had lavished with so much of the love that could have had a different outlet if a few things had been different.

"He practically went to pieces in front of me. Aren't lawyers obliged to tell the truth?" She wasn't as naïve as she sounded, but roughly she did expect that from them if they were reputable, (which Valen, Valen, and Gatz was, as her inquiries had told her).

"I am more worried that you didn't ask the right questions."

"Holy shit." Tifa walked over to Yuffie and put her in a playful headlock. The ninja girl squealed and laughed as they played around a bit. "I still can't believe it happened so fast. Boss Nova must burn gil to warm himself at night."

"Don't ask me, I have no idea how much money he has and I don't care. I'll probably never hear from him again, and good riddance, I say. It's creepy. Every time I looked at him, it was like I was looking at a zombie. He'll always be Rufus Shinra to me, and that doesn't exactly inspire any affection from me either."

Vincent smiled almost fondly at the women. "Do you want me to keep making inquiries?"

Tifa considered it a moment. "Might as well. Never know when that sort of information will come in handy. I mean, information is power these days." With a smile that was almost sad she looked down at her hands. "Makes a gal feel obsolete."

"You could always join us, Tifa, and fight monsters! Hiii-ya!" Yuffie did a series of kicks and punches, quick as anything, a light in her eye that told the other two people in the room that she was remembering the battles of the past few days. "Though I think that the monsters are starting to get a clue. They don't hardly attack anymore, or at least they don't attack Vince and me." She looked pretty sad about that particular fact.

The three of them chatted a bit more, until Yuffie unceremoniously announced that she was both tired and hungry still and needed to get into some clothes that hadn't been worn for over two days. As Vincent asked a few more questions about the contract, none of which Tifa could answer, he insisted that she go get a copy of it as soon as possible so that he could examine it. Yuffie promised, as she ran out the door to follow Vincent's retreating form, that after she got clean and presentable she'd be raring to waitress tonight for the grand reopening.

Tifa waved them off and looked up at the sign, The Citizen, and smiled. It was like starting all over again, only this time she wasn't so scared or so alone. Looking around at the old but improved bar she thought about Cloud. It was inevitable to some degree what with how she had had so many dealings with Nova and the two of them were similar enough to comment on it. Why had Cloud just picked up and left all those years ago? It had seemed like they had a good thing going.

Allowing herself the chance to reminisce was rare, so she savored it. It was bitter sweet, but right now she was allow herself to feel the emotions again. Sometimes she wanted to relive the moments in her mind so badly, but she denied herself for the same reason she denied herself chocolate: it was a weakness she couldn't afford. But just as a sweet now and then had its place, so did these memories. God, it felt like forever ago already. She was so young. Honestly, she was still young, but she was much stupider then.

They had shared a house, his mother's house, and it had been comfortable. They only fought over a few things and never for very long. Always she was the passionate one, trying to be as warm and open as she could, while Cloud hid himself away from her. His tendency towards melancholy had never been terribly pronounced, but it was there and she accepted it.

And then he was gone. Disappeared. And she was lost.

Despite herself, and her own resolve to never cry over him again, the tears always came. She didn't let herself just stop and cry but instead put up glasses on a shelf and watching their blurry forms as she blinked. It wasn't as if the tears helped anything. The cold path they created down her cheeks was irritating. Her puffy eyes and stuffed up nose reinforced her resolve not to cry again soon. Sometimes she just had to do it though, so that she could bleed out the pain just a little more. The well would run dry someday, right?

Or else she was just trying to bail herself out of a sinking boat and the sadness would never end.

That was too defeatist. She could be more positive. Today was a day for starting over-a day to be happy.

Simon arrived shortly after she got a grip on herself again and washed out her eyes to hopefully hide the redness that crying brought. He nodded at her and began to start up and check all the kitchen supplies. When she had informed him of the move he hadn't said anything to her, just nodded, and stayed as that rock of a man she had grown to be rather fond of despite his anti-sociability.

Things were looking up. The re-opening would be great. Life would be great. She could handle each problem as it came. The shadow of doubt in her mind about the contract caused her a bit of pause, but she would get a copy as soon as she had some free time and go through it more thoroughly. There was always time.

* * *

Even with some grumbling among her patrons about how she had sold out, something that alienated a few of them, largely Tifa was praised for being able to keep her bar going and alive. Sometimes she received rumors and oblique offers over the next few weeks about protests that the still angry displaced men and women thought she might be interested in. They knew who she was, and the tales of her days in AVALANCHE were coming to more and more years as new somewhat similar groups had begun to form. Some of them were public in form, more like workers unions, and had begun to actually start gaining the roots of what could become some political influence. But as the unions were beginning to spring to life, there were those who wanted more immediate and more violent action. They were the ones Tifa had to tell directly that she wouldn't harbor them or any sort of similar activity in her bar.

She never explained why, and she always maintained that she would help friends in trouble and protect the interests of the common people, but that terrorist policies were not the way to effect real change. Again this met with mixed feelings. The bar started to become a unionist haven for the legitimate new labor union, Workers United. Only the seedier bars in the shady part of town welcomed the militant types, as the oligarchs struggled to deal with this new political force. Every once in a while Tifa would still get offers from those militants, and every time she turned them down as gently as she could, depending on how persistent they were. Strong arm tactics never worked on her - she was far too strong herself.

The main battlefield for both policy and actual violence became Nova's own hotel project. The building was going more slowly due to strikes by the WU, but that had calmed down once Nova had talked with the leaders and come to an agreement. He was too canny to be caught for long in a stalemate, and the other oligarchs looked on in envy as their projects stalled at great cost with little hope of reconciliation. The labor union, while respecting Nova's power and ability, always felt like he was winning some sort of imperceptible battle. The oligarchs were also getting increasingly upset. Politics these days had become volatile.

"And then Vince told him to get out before we took care of him ourselves. I wish we had! Boy these rebels are gettin' on my nerves. Thinkin' they can walk bold as brass into our shop and buy weapons to use on other people. All of it just to get a little more for themselves. Vince is right, dammit, that they can damn well solve their problems over a table rather than with OUR weapons." Yuffie gave a punch to the air for emphasis. "I'm so mad I could just SPIT!" The crowd of regulars around her were admiring how the ninja was so angry and distracted and yet managed to continue to hit bullseyes with her daggers.

Things were pretty cheerful tonight in the bar. The last strike had been days ago, and nearly frostbitten picketers were back in their homes hopefully with a little more fuel from the pay raise to stay warm. Good feelings were in plenty as a city wide holiday was just a few days away in celebration of the winter solstice. There were always lights and fireworks sponsored by the city. Tifa was even considering baking a cake and having a little get together at the bar.

With an absent glance outside she saw the metal structure that was slowly becoming the hotel. There had been no name announced for it yet so everyone just called it 'the hotel'. People knew what you were talking about unless they weren't from around Jarta. Snow was falling softly, giving the ground an odd looking orange glow from the streetlamp outside.

"Everybody out! C'mon it's late and we need our rest!" Tifa began to shoo out customers in various states of inebriation. Simon and Yuffie helped and soon the three of them were all that was left to confront the chaos of empty glasses and bottle, spills, trash, and general debris.

Yuffie helped for a little while, but her yawn was telling. Tifa caught her friend's attention with a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go on home, Yuffie. Simon and I have it under control."

"Sorry. I've been working on a present for Vince for his birthday. It's the week after next. I thought I'd make him a new red scarf. I swear I'll figure out this whole sewing thing. Those damn needles. . ." Yuffie's smile was scrunched up. "But I started this and I'm goin' to finish it. You know me."

"I sure do, and I hope your, er, scarf goes well." Such things were a mystery to Tifa as well. She could sew holes closed and that included skin as well as cloth. It was useful for a warrior to know, after all, but the original making of the clothes was in that realm of typical womanly arts that she hadn't been too interested in broaching.

Once Yuffie had left, Tifa kept cleaning until Simon made an awkward appearance before her. Usually they finished about the same time, but obviously there was a lot left for Tifa to do. His reluctance to just leave her with all this work merely enforced her private opinion that Simon had a soft heart, not that she'd let him know that.

"It's fine, Simon. I've got it, just go on home. It's cold out and it's going to get colder tomorrow they say." He nodded and with his awkward gait gathered his coats together and left in a swirl of cold air in the room as the door opened and shut. Tifa finished sweeping and gathering things together and deposited some dishes in the sink that she didn't feel like attending to today. The garbage was next, and she dusted off her hands as she walked in to find three slumped over forms in the front room next to some overturned chairs. Without a second thought, she ran over to them.

A muffled pop, and the sound of clanging metal assailed her ears as she got to them. That didn't matter so much to her as getting help for these three men who looked like they were close to death. One of them had a gun still grasped in his hand. Were they cops? What was going on? The other two were bleeding though their coats.

"I'll get some hot water and I'll call an ambulance. Stay there." She was helping one to sit up when the police burst into her bar with enough force to knock the door off of one of its hinges.

"Freeze! You're all coming with us!" With the helmet over their eyes, the five policemen all seemed very strange creatures to Tifa's weary eyes.

"What's going on officer?" Tifa's cry was barely heard over the commotion as the man with the gun lifted it and got off two shot before he was killed by a hail of bullets from the police. They trained their guns on Tifa, as the only other conscious one. She looked at the, unafraid, and extremely pissed off.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?! GET OUT RIGHT NOW!" She went into a fighting position instinctively.

"Drop any weapons you have and stand down!" They yelled at her.

"This is my bar, and I won't take this! Tell me what's going on and put away your guns!"

A can of something dropped and filled the room with smoke. She rushed the group of policemen in a fury and took down two of them before the gas knocked her unconscious, and as she hit her head on a table on the way down to the floor just one thing was clear to her: this didn't look good.

* * *

"I'm afraid you are in violation of your contract and there is very little I can do for you Miss Lockhart." The pinched face of the man who had announced himself as Mr. Gatz seemed cloaked in distaste. "All signs point to your implication in the bombing and if you take this to trial all you have is the good word of your friends to support you. You have no alibi, a history of terrorism and activism, and you attacked and seriously wounded two policemen who had chased the subjects to your bar where you were obviously aiding them."

"What would you do if you saw someone bleeding in front of you? Dammit man, I'm a human being! I have compassion for people, and I even if I had known they were terrorists I would still have tried to help them live!" She paced about the cell that she had been in these past four days. No visitors. Isolated. Mr. Gatz was the first non-guard she had gotten to talk to.

"If they were alive then it might be another matter, because they could testify that you had nothing to do with the bombing. However, the suicides of the remaining members made them martyrs to many people and whatever organization they were part of must feel that they can only benefit by being known as being supported by the famous Tifa Lockhart. Your name had a lot of clout even before this, Miss Lockhart." He looked at her with that face that looked like it had just sucked a lemon and Tifa felt her hopes of being proven innocent seep out of her bones, leaving her tired and drained.

"So what should I do?"

"I think I can provide you with an answer." She turned to regard the voice that had come from behind her. Mr. Gatz respectfully stood. Nova walked into the room and coldly looked down at the only suspect left in the Solstice Bombing Case, as the newspapers called it. "You can leave Mr. Gatz. I'll take it from here, you just finish making the arrangements like I told you."

Mr. Gatz left with a nod, and now Tifa regarded the scarily serious face of Nova, no Rufus Shinra, because they fury and madness that peaked out of his eyes was not at all like the subtly mocking look that Nova had always regarded her with. Her throat was dry. He could do anything to her here and no one would stop him. What if he decided to release that anger? Well, she still had her fists. . .

"Miss Lockhart," Her name was a snarl, nothing respectful about the title as he called her 'miss'. "I face a grave loss these days. As you may or may not be aware of, nearly a third of the building was destroyed by that little bomb. Regardless of whether you were involved or not, circumstances are telling. I am invoking the contract, but I must admit I think you'll be surprised by the condition I demand of you."

"What condition? What are you talking about? Just take my property and let me alone. Press charges, whatever, I have nothing left to lose now." She would do her time, or she would escape and live as a fugitive. She was full of feelings of injustice at how life couldn't let her enjoy any sort of normal life.

"Perhaps you didn't read the contract carefully enough. I, effectively, entitled myself one extra request of you to be made at a later date which you must legally abide by." She seethed, grinding her teeth together and cursing her stupidity. That damn lawyer HAD been hiding something and all of them had sensed it. Why hadn't she ever looked over that copy that she got, which no doubt was still in its dusty corner of her desk at home along with her account books.

His voice continued, low and steady, but carrying a current to it that chilled her. "My request, Miss Lockhart, is your hand in marriage."

"WHAT?" She swatted at the chair she hadn't bothered to sit, knocking it down with enough force to shatter the back of it.

"You will claim that we have been affianced for two months and that I was with you the night of the incident shortly before you discovered the men. You didn't say anything before because you had promised me that you would say nothing of our engagement until I gave you permission to make it public. We will get married tomorrow in a civil service and you will come to live with me. Did I make myself clear enough?"

Tifa leaned against the bars behind her, head swimming, trying to grasp at what little she knew of reality. "Why? I don't understand. . . no. No! This is impossible."

"What's so difficult about it, Miss Lockhart - or Tifa I should say - since it benefits us both so well. You save yourself by gaining an alibi, hence you don't outwardly violate your contract and hence retain legal control of your bar and your freedom. You have everything to gain. And I?" He laughed, and it was high and somewhat frantic. It frightened her to hear him laugh like that far more than if he had threatened her with violence. "I get freedom from those old men trying to shove their daughters at me. I get freedom from having to deal with a messy court case involving one of the saviors of the planet. Most importantly, I gain the power of your name behind mine and will become all the more respected by the labor community. And these days, Tifa, that's where the new power is."

"What if I refuse?" She had to know.

"Then I will expose you, and if I happened to lose my power base I would destroy the Wall." She looked at him like he was insane. That was their protection! So many innocent people would suffer! "You think I wouldn't? My company has been doing most of the work on it for years, and I always make sure to plant just enough security in my work to insure cooperation if I need it."

"You bastard, you planted bombs everywhere on it didn't you?" He just laughed at her again.

"Nothing so sinister, my dear! But I can bring it down as easily as I erected it so I would be careful. Now, is it a deal?" He held out his hand, eyes burning into her with his madness. For a moment, as she paused, she saw him grow tired and pain replaced the madness, but it was just a flash.

She would be selling her soul, but what choice did she have?

"I promise that I will marry you." She took his hand and they had a brief contest of will in which each pressed against the hand of the other with cruel and crushing force. When they relented, neither gave a sign that the other had done more than simply shaken hands.

"I knew you would do the smart thing, Tifa."

"I'm just doing the right thing, Rufus." He smiled as she said his name, but the smile wasn't friendly.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a holiday.

It was her wedding day.

She wanted to run as far and as fast as possible.

"Happy solstice. . ." The sun finished setting and Tifa pretended that she was part of the party. Fireworks would begin in a little while and she would probably be able to watch them from the penthouse that she was currently trapped in. It would have been nice to talk to someone, perhaps gain some comforting words or a sympathetic ear, but all the communication devices had passwords that she certainly did not know. It took her about an hour just to figure out how to turn on the stereo using the complex array of remotes that had their own little kiosk by one spotlessly white couch. The lack of light was becoming a mercy, as she was no longer blinded by the scarily pale rooms.

A shiver ran down her arm and goosebumps formed near where her skin touched the glass of the window. The music that had come on once she had turned on the radio (which she could now not figure out how to turn off) was precise, complex, classical and refined. At first she had thought it was pretty, but it didn't have the life that the folk music she enjoyed exuded. Folk music put her in mind of laughing and dancing while people drank and ate together. This music just made her think of sitting very quietly and listening with no movement or contact with others. Sterile and solitary.

There was no way this was going to work.

Why would anyone in their right mind believe for even a second that she could possibly be in love with him? What was worse is that she was expected to deceive her friends as well, but they knew very well what 'Tifa in love' looked like, since they had personally seen it since they had met she and Cloud, and if not that there was the telling difficulty that if she had been in love then she would have told them.

Tifa turned to look at the dress. It was white and frilly, and somehow managed to look absolutely hateful to her biased eyes. He might have just as well bought a pair of handcuffs and clapped them on each of their wrists. Hell, maybe he still would. Living in this house was nearly as bad as the prison. At least she could touch things in the prison without being afraid to break them or stain them.

If nothing else, she was a pragmatic person and brooding like this wasn't accomplishing anything. A shower would be a good idea. It was cold in here and getting into that dress dirty would probably only compound her unpleasant murmur of discontent that fluttered in her stomach where nervous butterflies should have been by rights.

With no other real option for getting clean, Tifa wandered into the only room in the place that contained a bed and found another door that led to a bathroom. Everything was white or made of glass. Again she briefly doubted Rufus' humanity. A real person living in a place like this was either insane or about to get there. At the very least he was anal retentive. Tifa stripped and got into the shower enclosure, closing the glass door behind her. The water revived her numbed limbs and let her fade away into the luxury of cleanliness that she had not been able to possess while in jail.

Scrubbing at herself with soap, Tifa thought about Vincent and Yuffie. They must be wondering what happened to her and why she hadn't called if she wasn't in jail anymore. How much had they been told? With a smirk that held little actual amusement, she thought that they would be terribly surprised to find out that of all people she ended up becoming a Shinra when everyone (including her) had thought she'd end up a Strife.

Tifa Shinra. It just seemed wrong. Though she wouldn't actually be a Shinra, but rather Mrs. Nova. Mrs. Tifa Nova. She wasn't even sure that Rufus was using Rufus for his first name. Did anyone call him by his first name? What about his friends? Did he even have friends? He must, since even some of the worst villains she had faced had had friends. . .or at least moderately trustworthy colleagues.

She could still back out of this. The thought was tempting, pervasive, and she vigorously attacked her scalp with shampoo as if to wash the thought out. A promise was a promise, and even if her integrity were not at stake, there was the fact that he still held enormous power with which to hurt others and had threatened to use that power. In a way, she was flattered that she warranted such a display of force, but all the same that didn't change the nature of the beast, so to speak.

When had she gotten so much hair? Wet, it fell to the small of her back. Perhaps it was time to cut it. She had kept it long for so much of her life, and it seemed almost like her old life was ending. . .

"Stop that!" She stomped a bare foot onto the ivory colored tile as water washed over her in a small waterfall. With a vicious turn of some knobs, the water ceased its downpour. "You were never this much of a quitter before!" She had meant to yell, but it came out as a whisper. Soft strains of that same technically perfect and somewhat sedate music found her through her trail of open doors. After wrapping her hair up into a towel turban, she threw a second towel around her body and tried not to let any of the warmth get away despite the frigidness of the living space.

Like she did at home, she flopped onto the bed and just enjoyed the afterglow from showering. It would be so nice to go to sleep. The bed looked comfy and maybe when she woke up she wouldn't even be here anymore. What a bad and elaborate dream that would be. Maybe if it was a dream she should look into getting some serious therapy.

"I'm glad to see you're getting ready, but I had hoped to leave for the judge's office as soon as possible. It *is* a holiday after all." Tifa's body shot up from the bed as her hand clutched at the towel that tried to unravel and expose her further to Rufus' bored stare. His eyes flickered to the bathroom and if she didn't know better she saw him flinch as he noted the mess. As she gazed over she saw nothing out of the ordinary, just her clothes on the ground and steam filling the bathroom. Rufus wandered over and flicked a switch in the bathroom that started up a fan. "We'll have a discussion about how everything works after the ceremony. I'm surprised you didn't at least turn up the heat, it's freezing in here."

Tifa stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.

* * *

Standing there in her wedding dress, Yuffie and Vincent nearby as the judge went through the ceremony and brought out the contract to sign, Tifa felt herself go into shock. In some ways she hadn't actually seen this happening. Of course she knew it would, but knowing and feeling are different things and all at once the feeling of certainty paralyzed her. There would be no running. Her legs refused to work. She might have just let herself fold gracefully to the ground in a pretend faint to buy some time, if not for the fact that Yuffie looked about ready to attack Rufus at the least provocation. Vincent simply looked stoic, but Tifa got the feeling he was hiding a lot more than she could suspect.

The words were said, somehow sounding confident when her reality was far removed from anything like self assurance. Yuffie and Vincent signed as witnesses and then they stiffened, all of them excluding Rufus, when the judge smilingly said he could kiss the bride. He moved to do so and Tifa backed away quickly and in an involuntary way that was followed by a look of panic as she realized what she did.

"She's just shy. We've kept this a secret so long. . .you understand." Rufus gave a small, dry, and humorless laugh.

"A fine example for you young people, it is too." The judge was a thin man with a large beard that seemed to consume his face. It rather looked like his chin had exploded in hair, and all the words that came out were slightly muffled. "Just as one of the saviors of the planet should be, beautiful and modest. I'm a big fan little lady. Of all of you." He extended his praise to the other two who stood so stiffly.

Rufus took the judge aside and they made idle chitchat about a party the next day, which Tifa would shortly discover was her wedding reception, but at the moment she was too busy finally speaking openly to Yuffie and Vincent.

Only she couldn't really speak openly. And Tifa was an honorable woman, even if the deal had been made with a demon.

"Tifa, we didn't know what happened to ya for days and then out of the blue you're engaged? What's goin' on?" Yuffie cut to the chase, as always speaking her mind.

"The circumstances are unusual. Just know that it was never my intention to deceive you. I'm just glad that, in a way, it's all over." As long as she kept things vague, maybe she wouldn't have to give them particulars.

Vincent looked into her cinnamon eyes intently. She was sure if anyone could see how false her smile was or how forced her words, it would be Vincent, and for a moment she feared she would break down and tell him everything right there.

"Just tell me that this is what you want, Tifa, and we won't ask any more questions. Obviously, you don't want to give us straight answers yet." Yuffie started to protest, but he quieted her with a gentle hand over her mouth, which was one of the few things that could effectively shut her up. "Tell me."

Tifa licked her lips, eyes rolling. She couldn't lie to friends, but as Rufus met her wandering gaze a moment, a coil unwound in her that shored up her will. If she couldn't do this, then she would never be able to pull it off.

"This is what I want. I want to be married to Rufus. . . Nova." She gave a smile and hugged both her friends. "Congratulate me! Admit it; you both thought I'd never get married."

"Not to him, anyway." Yuffie mumbled but both Tifa and Vincent gave her a sharp look and she apologized quickly. Instead, she brought up a different and far more terrifying question. "So, when's the honeymoon?" Tifa nearly broke her tenuous hold on calm.

* * *

". . .and tomorrow I will give you the addresses of the stores I expect you to purchase your clothes from. The sales people will help you, just mention my name and you won't have to think about anything. The reception will go smoothly." He removed his shoes and unbuttoned his suit vest. "I expect you to be a little more enthusiastic, of course, than you were today. Why are you giving me that look, I'm not going to eat you."

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" The bed which had seemed so comfortable to her before now looked like an instrument of torture.

"Obviously, you can't have a separate bed, because then the cleaning staff would know and word would get around that we don't sleep together. I don't even attempt to keep servants from spying, since it makes my enemies feel secure, those fools." He smiled to himself. "Of course I'm also not going to toss you over my shoulder and force you to do anything against your will."

"Sure." Tifa sounded unconvinced.

"I am no rapist, Miss. . . ." he ran a hand through his hair. "Tifa. Look. This is an arrangement. I am not an evil man, even if I have no illusions about being a good man. Just accept that you must sleep in this bed, but trust my word that I won't touch you unless you consent to it. I'm tired and I don't want to fight you on this."

He looked so normal for a moment, like a man who did too much in his days, and Tifa was willing in that second to give him the benefit of the doubt. She had little choice, really and if she spent every day paranoid she'd probably go bald from stress. "So what should I call you? Do you even go by Rufus? Who are you?"

"I don't think tonight is the night to talk about all of that, if I even choose to tell you at all." He had withdrawn from her again, and she could feel anger radiate from him, making the large white room feel strangely pressurized. "But yes, you can call me Rufus. I don't seem to be able to stop you, really." He took off his tie and worked down the buttons of his shirt. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, sorry." Her face went red, and Tifa withdrew from the room as he continued to undress. She looked out over the city again, quiet and fairly dark after the busy holiday. So many people down there had no idea what she had sacrificed to free them. Gone were the days of complete independence to think and do as she pleased. Gone also were the dreams of finding love in the arms of the man who had once deserted her. Really, she had always expected him to return. It was destiny, right? Maybe not, since she was married to another now, even if it was a sham. She thought at least there would have been love, if she had ever married. The city rocked back and forth as she focused in and out, making the world blur and spin.

A hand fell on her shoulder, and she twisted around, pinning the arm behind its owner with just enough strength to cause pain but not enough to dislocate anything. She blinked and refocused to look in Rufus' smiling face.

"At least I won't have to waste money on a bodyguard, it seems." She let go and he stretched his arm a little to make the pain fade faster. "Though, I expect that you won't do that to me in public." She looked sorry, but didn't vocalize it since her throat was thick from holding back the emotion of the day. "I came to tell you that you can use some of my pajamas tonight, as you don't have any clothes here." Picking up what looked to be an identical set of the dark blue pants and shirt he wore from where he had dropped it after her attack, he held them out and she took them with a nod.

Tifa felt as if the foreignness of all this would never abate. After she had looked at herself in the mirror for nearly half an hour, waiting for the feeling of weirdness to recede, she made her way out of the bathroom and stood before Rufus at the foot of the bed to wait for some sort of signal. He was reading a book and ignoring her.

"What are you waiting for? Just get into bed." He hadn't even looked up from the book. She did as he said and then curled up into a ball as far away as she could possibly get from him. For another stretch of time he ignored her entirely in favor of his book.

She started to get annoyed. Did he have so many other women in his bed that her presence was so unremarkable? A prick of vanity made her feel sullen, even if she recognized that she didn't want him to make any advances. "Are you going to be reading much longer?"

"Three more pages."

"Ok."

She waited on every page turn with more insecure thoughts or half formed sorrows running rampant through her mind. When the light clicked off, she felt her body buzz with nervous energy. Even the jail cell had seemed homier than this place. When Rufus had stopped rustling on his side, she tried to count chocobos to aid herself in sleep. Inevitably, exhaustion won her over and she passed out, but not before she worriedly thought of her bar, her friends, and her by no means certain future.

* * *

Someone's hand was on her arm, shaking her. Sleepily, she started to automatically twist away and up in self defense, but instead found herself face down in the pillow with her own arm pinned to her back somewhat painfully. Memory found her, and she realized she had just attempted to do what she had done to her husband last night.

Husband.

Sigh.

"The same trick won't work on me twice," his tone, usually flat, seemed amused. "Now get up and dress unless you want me to dress you."

"I'm up! I'm up! Now let go!" She yelled into the pillow in an effort to be heard. Tifa turned around upon her release and faced the smirking face of the man she ostensibly would be living her life with. "What time is it? Did I oversleep? Isn't it a holiday?"

"Today, my blushing bride," his voice was heavy with sarcasm "we have our wedding reception. Most of the town notables will be there, even with the short notice I gave them, and I expect you to play your part to perfection. Just remember, you're absolutely thrilled to be married to me."

"Ecstatic. Sure." Tifa ran a hand through her somewhat tangled hair in a halfhearted attempt to get out a few tangles. "I go shopping right?"

"Correct." He walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open as he adjusted his tie. Tifa wondered if he just owned an entire closet full of those three piece charcoal colored suits. How very dull. "The reception will be in my building, you remember where that is right?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Just ask the secretary in the lobby and she'll tell you which floor and all that. Three o'clock. Be half an hour early."

Rufus crossed in front of her, regarding the sleepy and still somewhat stunned Tifa. He withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket and tossed it at her feet. From a different pocket he took out a card and that also landed at her feet against a fold of blanket.

"The addresses of the stores I expect you to visit as well as a card with my personal number on it. Don't let anyone else see it. It's personal for a reason. Call if you have trouble. Buy whatever you like." Rufus dropped a gold credit card to lie with all the rest. She could practically see the gears running in his head, estimating how much she might spend and if that was an acceptable loss. If it wasn't, what would he do? Harvest one of her organs?

"What are you doing until then?"

"Working." He strode out of the room and called behind him. "See you at two thirty, honey." The last word was said derisively and Tifa wished she had something handy to throw at him. Instead, she picked up the cards as the door shut in the front room. The stores were places she had only vaguely heard of. Maybe she would be allowed to wear her own clothes when she reopened the bar, at least, so she'd only need a couple outfits. That is, if he let her continue to run her own bar. He'd have hell to pay if he didn't.

But all of that was far in the future. Right now what was most important was getting some breakfast and getting clothes for this damned reception. How did someone like her act at an official function like this? She had never spent much time in the company of rich people and they seemed to have their own customs and conversational tactics. Bah, the day was already getting too complicated.

Since her own clothes were dirty, and she refused to wear that horrid dress from yesterday, she ended up looking through Rufus' closet for something to wear. Indeed, she was correct that all that he owned was a closet full of charcoal colored suits and white shirts, but lots of different colored ties as well. There were also, towards the back, a couple of tuxedos and in the very furthest back a white trenchcoat and a pair of white pants wrapped together in plastic with a black sleeveless turtleneck shirt. Her curiosity was conquered by her self preservation, so she stayed away from that particular item of clothing. Apparently those dirty clothes would just have to do, even if they looked as poor as she was. Well, at least as poor as she liked seeming.

Tifa was unwilling to brave the intimidating white kitchen-like space and instead opted to take her chances getting food while on the go. As soon as she got back to street level from the building complex the penthouse topped, Tifa made a bee line to Yuffie and Vincent's store. It took a lot of loud negotiating and a flat out bribe for a new pair of boots for Tifa to convince Yuffie to come shopping. Neither of them saw this as a fun outing, but a bizarre chore. A mission was perhaps an even more appropriate title.

When they had grabbed a quick something to eat, they continued to the first place on the list. . . which promptly told them to vacate the premises before they called the police force. Tifa tried to explain that they were not hoodlums, but legitimate customers to no avail. The stuffy woman was firmly telling them that the police would shortly be on their way when Tifa and Yuffie decided to make a run for it.

"Ya know, if shopping were this fun all the time, I'd do it more." It hadn't helped that Yuffie had started cursing the woman out as soon as they had been denied entrance at the beginning of the whole mess.

At the second address Tifa first dropped Rufus' name and showed the credit card to the security camera out front, and the door was quickly unlocked for them. They were held up in a tasteful little waiting room while the store's management called Rufus. Or at least Tifa assumed that that is what they did, because they took the gold card with them only to return quite a bit later with profuse apologies and very white and frightened faces. Obviously, the conversation had been too the point.

Everything was divided by color, and there were not very many pieces of clothing in the entire store. It was very different from the second hand places Tifa frequented and as she asked the price of one pretty skirt she had to suck in her breath and plaster a smile on her face to cover the shock. She made that much money in maybe a week or three at the bar and they expected her to pay that much for one piece of fabric?

Yuffie was far more honest about her shock. "You're kiddin', right? Why would anyone pay that much for a tube of cloth?" The saleslady seemed to hide her disdain rather imperfectly as she answered that the clothes here were by famous designers as well as of the highest quality of material.

Tifa figured that it would be the same no matter where they went so she bought a few outfits. Some skirts, some pants, blouses, a simple dress, shoes, a jacket, and then tried not to think about how she had just blown the equivalent of a year of her income if not more, on fabric and leather. Unfortunately, as Yuffie correctly pointed out as they bundled up packages in their arms, Tifa had not bought anything really really fancy.

First, they made a trip back to the penthouse to drop off the clothing and Tifa struggled to find the key card that Rufus had given her the day before. Tifa put on one of her new outfits to ensure less trouble at the next store, and indeed they were let in without being contested now that Tifa looked both stylish and wealthy in her skirt, blouse, scarf, and jacket set in royal purple and cream. Even Yuffie was impressed, despite contempt for such useless and flimsy clothing.

"A girl can't do anything practical in that." Yuffie protested.

Tifa struggled into a silver formal gown behind the door of a dressing room. "Maybe so, but I won't be wearing it very often, so that doesn't matter. From what I can tell just by the clothing alone, these society women aren't supposed to be very useful. They're just supposed to look nice, kinda like exotic birds or something." Tifa opened the door. "What do you think?"

"Looks weird. I don't think it suits you, but it doesn't matter. Just buy it and we can get out of here."

"Oh no, if I have to wear this stuff, I'm going to get something I look good in." There was a rustle of fabric. "Hand me the next one." Yuffie tossed over a long black dress with a high slit up on side and a low back with a minimum of ceremony or grace.

"I guess you want to look nice for Nova." Yuffie sounded almost forlorn. Tifa paused a moment, letting the rustle of fabric cease and leaving an uncomfortable silence.

Her eyes were sad in the mirror as she allowed her emotions to show through before she had to put up the act yet again. "Yeah, I want to look nice for Rufus." The slight buzz of unusually feminine happiness that she had gotten from trying on things faded. Instead of dwelling, she changed the subject. "You finish that scarf for Vincent? I know his birthday is in a couple days, right?"

"Aw crap! What with all the stuff that's been goin' on, I totally forgot about it! I had better get cracking tonight if I want to finish it up. . ."

"Not going to come to the reception?"

"It isn't that I don't love ya, Tifa, but I'll only be there long enough to be seen. I don't know if Vince is gonna stay long or not. That's up to him. We won't be there until later anyway." Yuffie sounded apologetic. "Anyway, you better hurry up, it's two fifteen. You told me to warn you when it was getting close to two thirty right?"

"Crap! Here, tell them to wrap up this and this and this!" Tifa tossed the black dress as well as a couple others she had been moderately pleased with over and frantically began to get back into her clothes. At this rate she would still be late, but not by too much.

Even rushing, she only managed to make it to the building by two forty- eight (something she blamed on the heels of the shoes that were far too high for her to move quickly) and the secretary greeted her with a peculiar cheerfulness as soon as she asked for the reception. New clothes had transformed her to everyone, it seemed. Frankly, Tifa was a little disappointed that people would set such store in looks. The elevator ride was silent and disturbing just like the last time, but the doors opened into a warm room that seemed surprisingly welcoming. Various catering people were running around, setting up and taking care of some last minute details. In the middle of the chaos was a blond man who seemed to be answering questions, giving orders, and yet remaining perfectly calm and unaffected all at once. It could only be Rufus. She waited patiently as an endless stream of people came to him. He probably hadn't even noticed she had arrived.

"You're late." It was sudden, especially since he hadn't even turned to look at her.

"Not very. Shopping took longer than I thought it would. Here's your card back." She held it out, and he turned to look at her.

"Keep it, you might need it later." He examined her. "You look very pretty. Are you ready?"

"I remember. Thrilled, right? See my smile?"

"Good job. Be prepared for small physical displays as well. Nothing too shocking, I'm trying to ease you into this after all. But if I put my arm around your shoulder I don't want to be thrown onto the floor."

"I'll try to restrain myself somehow." She said facetiously. Things had seemed to grow calm, and she realized it was three and everyone had taken their stations. The elevator doors opened a moment later.

"Mayor, a pleasure as always. . ." Rufus shook his hand vigorously. "Asher, I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Tifa. Tifa, this is Mayor Rine." The large man in front of her with rather piggy features gave her a broad smile and shook her hand.

"My my, what a pretty gal! Your prison photos didn't do you justice. Har har!"

"Asher! Really, you'll break her arm!" A small woman stepped out from behind the mayor, obviously his wife. "Hello, my dear, I'm Mrs. Rine but please call me Indra. Don't mind that bear, he's always like this. Congratulations from us both on the wedding." Poor Rufus had been subjected to the mayor's attention again thereby freeing Tifa from being shaken to pieces.

"She looks like a temperamental one, too. I don't see how you get so lucky, my lad. If you want my advice, bed both well and frequently. Get her to pop a few kids out and things will settle down." Obviously, his wife had given up trying to restrain her husband long ago as she just rolled her eyes and patted Tifa's shoulder. "Of course, it didn't work for me, did it dear?" His wife looked over with patient amusement.

Rufus broke in, "At the moment, I don't think there are any foreseeable troubles like that, right? Honey?" His arm went around her shoulders. Raise the curtain and start the show.

"Of course not. . .dear." The mayor and his wife beamed at them.

* * *

Things had been going surprisingly well. Most of the people had not been as open and socially incorrect as the mayor and his wife, but then most people would not be able to get away with it like the mayor did so 'charmingly'. A few catty women had practically attacked her with their greetings and she supposed these were some of the women that Rufus had spoken of wanting to avoid earlier. Far more people had wanted to hear the story about how she had helped save the planet, being a legend in her own time and all. This proved to be what made the evening difficult as the story involved a lot of Cloud. Gladly, she let Yuffie tell the story as soon as she and Vincent arrived after work. Yuffie, despite her appearance, did have noble connections as well as being famous for her deeds and soon she was practically holding court while regaling people with anecdotes. Tifa slipped away and got some punch, sipping it quietly and thinking about how tough it was to act happy all the time when what you really felt like was a pile of chocobo droppings.

"Tired already?"

"Gah!" Tifa nearly spilled red liquid all over her nice expensive new clothes. "You scared me near to death!"

Rufus glided over to sit down beside her. "I just wanted to say that you're doing a good job. I saw Katerina DeGraugh corner you for a moment back there and I have no idea how you escaped without getting scratched."

"If you mean that beautiful but overly made up woman who looked as if she'd like to take an axe to my neck, then yes, I deserve all the praise I can get." Said woman had broadly hinted that the reason Tifa and Rufus had married so suddenly was because Tifa had gotten herself knocked up. "When she brought up how very 'shotgun wedding' the whole thing was I suggested she hold her tongue unless she wanted to see a fully loaded one pointed at her head. And that was one of the nicer things I said to that bitch."

Rufus' looked gratified by the information. "She was talking about you with her cronies. I do think you've made your first mortal enemy."

"Oh don't exaggerate. She isn't the first." Tifa allowed herself to laugh a little from the stress of it all. "Even though I run a bar, and it can get hectic, I don't remember feeling this crushed. How can you live in a world like this?" He shrugged, looking out at the many groups of people talking. Yuffie's group all began roaring with laughter while Yuffie herself could be seen as a flash of hair as she punctuated some story with little jumps.

"I don't know sometimes." He looked over at Tifa, who seemed to be far away in her own mind. The smile died from him and the icy wall returned. "Don't worry, we can go home and you can stop pretending soon. You'll open up your bar again tomorrow and all this will just be an unpleasant memory."

"I didn't say that. Why must you be so nasty?" Tifa felt anger color her drawn features.

Just at their best moment, with each looking venomously at the other, the mayor walked over and loudly announced that he had to be going. This drew stares which of course obliged Rufus and Tifa to convert their sneers into smiles.

"Let's see something nice from you two before we leave. None of us got to see the wedding, so just give us a kiss. That's the best part anyway. We can all pretend like we were there." A healthy portion of the room was looking their way now, including Yuffie and her gaggle. The mayor had a big, loud mouth and Tifa wished she could just gag him and make everyone happier.

Rufus seemed to hesitate a moment. It was considerate of him, Tifa thought, though maybe he worried more about her reacting badly than her feeling badly about such a public performance when the two of them hadn't done more than touch the other's arm, really.

"Why of course," Tifa found herself saying in a loud and overly happy voice. Pulling him down by the lapels of his suit jacket, she pulled Rufus in for a kiss, solidly pressing her lips against his. At first he seemed reluctant but then she felt arms wrap around her and soft suction as he pulled at her lips a little.

All in all, the kiss was. . . surprising.

The mayor cleared his throat in a theatrical manner and clapped them both on the shoulder as they broke away and stared with some measure of shock at one another.

"Almost makes me wish I was young again, right Indra?"

"Sure, dear, whatever you say. Congratulations again you two."

Tifa and Rufus pushed away from one another somewhat quickly and continued to talk to guests as people began to make their excuses and things wound down. Even though she went through the motions, all that was on Tifa's mind was that fact that she had just kissed Rufus Shinra and she had liked it.

And that their good chemistry alarmed her more than any threat he had used on her.


	5. Chapter 5

A drop of water hit Tifa's hand from the ceiling as she shook a drink, mixing the ingredients together. Looking up, she noted the new wet spot and silently pictured a slightly larger repair bill in her mind. Resentment welled in her heart and she squashed it. She didn't have a budget to repair things yet because she wasn't making much money (using Rufus' money was simply not an option in her mind). She wasn't making much money because most of her customer base had left her. Her customer base had left her because she had married their hated enemy and no one was going to support any endeavor put on by a class traitor. Tifa wished she had thought things out more thoroughly when she made that agreement originally.

Everyday, just a little more, any enjoyment of the freedom she had left chipped away just a bit. The worst part of it was that she couldn't even bring herself to blame Rufus when this was all the fault of her own bad planning and lack of foresight.

The hotel was three fourths of the way constructed and Tifa watched the building that had sealed her future with a resigned hate. It was the source of all her troubles in one way or another, and it would forever be a testament to her carelessness. Another drop landed on her hand while she had paused to look out the window. The rain just wouldn't abate now that it was spring.

It was only a few months, but those months had simply brought more complexity and confusion into her life. The routine that she and Rufus had fallen into had lulled her with the general consistency of it. Since she worked late and he mostly worked early, they rarely saw one another during the week. Tifa got home just after Rufus was in bed, and Rufus got up a few hours before Tifa did. Thankfully, Tifa's insomnia had abated within a few weeks of her moving into the apartment even if it never really felt like a shared living space so much as her intruding upon him. The uneasiness was always there, but it was just a buzz in the back of her mind these days.

Every seventh day, the day that she always closed the bar and took time for herself, they were generally forced to spend time together. Tifa would spend the day with Yuffie if she wasn't out on a job and in the evening Rufus and Tifa would go out to eat at The Reactor to keep up appearances. Additionally, sometimes Tifa had to get Yuffie to run the bar for a night whenever there was some formal engagement that Tifa had to attend with Rufus.

None of this particularly bothered Tifa, though there was a continuous sense of discomfort to it. At every engagement and so long as they were in public he was attentive, affectionate even, holding her hand and hugging her every so often. Sometimes, although rarely, they would kiss one another, but it was always a quick peck on the cheek and never like the one they had had at the wedding reception. There had never been a whisper of rumor that their feelings were anything but loving towards one another and in fact it was becoming notorious as a romantic tale of how they had met and secretly courted. It had been fun coming up with the story at the time, but now she thought that if one more debutante sighed over her supposed "rescue" from jail that she would vomit expensive foods all over someone's ballroom dress.

The second they were in private again, Rufus would pull away from her. A couple times, recently, he had lingered a moment with a hand around her waist or held a hug a little longer than necessary, but sometimes people got caught up in the moment and she didn't think much of it. Other than the formal bits, he treated her more like a roommate than a wife. What she did find herself suspicious of were the gifts.

Some days she would wake up to find a box by her bedside. More often then not it was jewelry, but she figured it was just so she would fit in more with the glittering society women. The only thing that confused her is why he picked them out, instead of sending her to do it. Perhaps he was worried she wouldn't spend enough (as he complained about her tendency to favor things just because they were cheap). As it was she only used the card he had given her to buy food for herself.

Of course this stubborn wish to stay separate from the ties of his money was something that could only last for so long when her money was depleting at an alarming rate while she kept the bar open. She refused to cut the salaries of either Yuffie, who worked herself ragged some days trying to keep the atmosphere happy, or Simon who came to work faithfully and did his job without questions. If things kept going as badly as they had been then she would have to sell the bar.

Maybe Simon would be interested, and if so then she'd just give it to him. It wasn't as if she were in any great need for basic necessities. If she felt that she really needed to start another business she could always just sell a materia. The problem was that she wasn't sure if that would help anything. Who would come to her place? Those high class women in their furs and gems? Not likely. Her people had always been the working people of the city, even if at the moment they didn't want to embrace their seeming prodigal daughter.

"You gonna drink that?" Yuffie sat down on the stool and made a motion to serve the drink to her. It was a Wednesday and there were only two or three people in the bar, all tired and most of them construction workers who stopped off after work every day. Sometimes they were people looking to get in good with the boss' wife, but once Tifa made it clear that she didn't go in for that sort of behavior it settled down to just a couple regulars. Hardly any of the old crowd came in any more. They had given up on her. Tifa felt her stomach burn as the sadness set in.

"Have it." Tifa poured it out and slid it over.

"Sour." Yuffie scrunched up her face. "What's eating you?"

"I think I'm going to try to give Simon the bar. I can't do it anymore Yuffie. It isn't any use to run a bar no one comes to. And I've run into the gang before and they just give me the same old excuses. They don't trust me anymore." Tifa poured herself a shot. She always made it a point never to have more than one drink at work if any, but tonight she felt like she wanted to forget a lot of things. This shot wasn't the first or the last of the evening.

"Go easy there. . . hey Simon! Fix up some fries for Tifa! I think she should eat somethin'!" There was rattling as Simon cut potatoes and messed with other kitchen utensils. "Are you sure about this? This bar has been everything to you for. . ."

"You don't need to remind me," Tifa interrupted as she downed another shot. "But we both know that in some ways that is the only way it would live on. You know that if it were just you and Simon that this place would be full every night like it used to be with people laughing and eating. If you guys can hold it together until summer, when the hotel opens, you'll get those customers too."

"Stop it, you're talkin like you already gave up!" Yuffie swung her nearly untouched drink wide and sloshed it onto the floor.

"Maybe I have." This time the shot didn't even cause her eyes to water. A fine mist was spreading across her senses, suddenly life felt a lot fuzzier and happier. Perhaps those fries would be a good idea, since she hadn't eaten since breakfast. "No one ever boycotted your business, my friend. Why. . . why did I ever have the unfortune of choooshing, er, I mean choosing my bar to be at the location that was the location Rufus wanted? Location. Why couldn't he have just died when he was supposed to, huh? Instead he stuck around just to make my life a sad drama of. . ." Even drunk she knew this was going too far.

Yuffie seemed very interested. "Oh no, do continue."

"Nevermind, we just had a fight a while ago." Lying was easier when she was drunk, or at least tipsy. She took another shot to push herself over that line. "No trouble in paradise!" Her giggle sounded off, even to her.

"I think I should take you home." Yuffie sounded concerned as she got up to go steady her friend who was wavering on her feet. "I don't think I've seen you this determined to get pissed since Cloud. . ." She cleared her throat at Tifa's look of hurt at the mention of that name. "Anyway, let's get you home."

"Home? I don't have a home anymore. Had to get rid of it." Tifa thought a moment. "Oh, yeah, *home*. I was thinking of, well, I don't know if I was thinking." She managed to take another shot while Yuffie told Simon what was up. He handed her the fries in a bag, which promptly looked like it had been dipped bottom first into the vat of fat itself as the grease soaked the paper.

Yuffie helped guide Tifa to the right door and also helped her slide her keycard through to open the locking mechanism. Rufus, who had been sitting on the couch and reading, regarded a somewhat soaked version of Tifa and Yuffie with mild interest. Rain pounded against the windows that overlooked the city as the spring announced its arrival.

"What happened?" Rufus noticed how Tifa seemed to be having a hard time standing up. Since she had never overindulged in his presence, he was having a difficult time processing the fact that she was drunk.

"You should ask her yourself, though I wouldn't bring up the bar until tomorrow if you have any compassion. She's goin' to need water and lots of it." Yuffie dropped the fries off on a white counter after dumping Tifa in a chair not too far away from Rufus.

"Good evening and thank you Miss Kisaragi." Yuffie made a face at being addressed so formally.

"I didn't do it for you, Mr. Nova." She walked to the door, waving. "You take good care of her now, or I'll bust your kneecaps. Night Tifa!"

Tifa seemed to be inspecting her wet hair very closely when Rufus turned to look at her. She had started crying on the way over but she had stopped a while ago and all that was left was a faint red puffiness. It was both adorable and pitiful as she tried to get up and failed a couple times. Finally, she seemed to notice he was in the room.

"Oh Rufus! Is it the seventh day already? I'm a mess, maybe we should eat in tonight. I'll just go change into something that isn't wet." She finally got herself out of the chair and made a zigzag path towards the bedroom. There was a crash, but there were other noises such as her cursing and some crinkling noises so Rufus simply waited for her to emerge since it was obvious she hadn't passed out. For the first time that night he found himself well and truly shocked as Tifa walked out of the bedroom clad in his black sleeveless turtleneck, his white coat, and a pair of panties but nothing else. She had even combed her hair.

"Where did you find that?" He sounded more tired than angry, since it would do no good to get mad at someone so clueless. Also, she managed to make it look rather sexy as the shirt had to stretch in interesting places to conform to her body.

"Oh I saw it a while ago. I always wanted to try it on. The coat is heavier than I thought it would be." Her eyes were dark and deep, swallowing up the room and him as well and her voice was thoughtful. "How did your clothes, or, I mean, how did you ever survive the blast? I'm married to a dead man. . ." This made her laugh.

She stumbled forward, nearly tripping on the coat that was too long for her and dragging on the ground. Tifa fell forward but he moved fast enough to catch her and she felt him take a deep breath. Rufus hesitated a moment and then wrapped his arms around her as he forced them both to sit on the couch.

"Maybe I'll tell you when you aren't drunk."

"Oh goody! And so nice this time too!" She clapped her hands and swung her legs up and onto his lap while she laid back. "I think you threatened me last time I asked." Tifa inspected the sleeves of the jacket, then the buttons. "You've been so nice to me the past couple months, it was almost enough to make me forget about all those threats at the beginning. You actually treat me like a person. Shocked the hell out of me."

"Obviously I don't treat you well enough, as you still remember the threats rather clearly."

Tifa sat up to rest on her elbows. "Well, it was a rather traumatic time for me. I mean, I think the worst part of it all was not even that I was getting married but that I wasn't going to marry for love. No kids. No happiness. But then I had given up a while ago on all that. This time it was just more official." She fell back again with a sigh.

Rufus rubbed one long leg, massaging the calf absently, while he asked in a low tone. "Why did you give up?"

"Cloud." Tifa's mercurial drunken tendencies forced tears to her eyes again. "I had always expected him to come back someday, to be honest. Marrying you. . . killed my dreams." His hands stopped. "But that's ok, life with you has been good. Surprisingly good. I hardly ever even think about Cloud anymore. You're making me forget. . . so many things. I'm losing so much since you appeared." Her bar resurfaced in her thoughts again. "All these old hurts. I just want to tear them out of me."

The silence that hung around them was punctuated by the increase in intensity of the wind and rain; you couldn't even see the city lights through the rain and dark anymore. It made them feel more enclosed than usual.

"I think it's only fair that I show you my scars too, since you were so kind to offer me yours." Rufus' voice was obscure, far away, and Tifa had to strain to hear it. She felt his body move, and when she finally pulled herself into a sitting position, he was already unbuttoning his white shirt, with the vest open and the tie discarded on the ground. His blond hair fell into his face as he looked down at the buttons. Rufus opened his shirt to her and Tifa found her breath being drawn in with a gasp.

Some jagged, some thin, all of them either white or pink and slightly puckered, his chest was covered with scars. Many of them looked like they had been rather nasty or life threatening, but either a very skillful doctor had gotten to him, or some deity had smiled down on him.

"Most of it was from glass and debris in the explosion. This," He pointed to one at his left shoulder. "was where a pipe was driven clean through my body. I remember fainting when I pulled it out. My back is similar, and there are a few on my legs. Plastic surgery took care of everything around my face, so I retain my handsome features." The bitterness in his voice was hard to miss even if Tifa was still drunk. "I refused to let them alter anything, though. Damn it, if I could survive something like that then there was no use hiding. This is all just borrowed time anyway."

"Rufus. . ." Tifa's pity party had been cut short by the great empathy she had for him. He must have been in terrible pain for a long time. Who knows what sort of condition he was in at the beginning of it all? Maybe the rescuers hadn't even known who he was at first. Now the tears that fell were no longer for herself. She bent close and ran a hand along his chest as he flinched but didn't stop her. Half remembered parental reassurances from long ago prompted her to lean in and softly kiss his abdomen and one of the nastier looking scars. At that he pulled her back.

"No. You're drunk. You don't know what you're doing." He only seemed to be vaguely talking to her. "I'll get you those fries and a glass of water." The pounding of rain continued to fill the silences they left.

"Rufus?" Tifa looked over the couch so that all he could see was her eyes from his view in the kitchen space. She looked innocent and perplexed at his sudden rejection.

"What?" He dumped the fries onto a plate and tried to wash the grease off of his hands.

"I'm sorry if I did something wrong."

He walked over and set the plate on her knees and the water on the glass table in front of her. "Just eat your fries, and don't spill on my coat. It was rather expensive to have it remade."

* * *

Tifa woke up feeling funny. More specifically, she woke up feeling like her eyes were trying to bore into her brain and her head was trying to explode out her ears to compensate. Now she remembered why she didn't get drunk. At least she was in the apartment and not on Yuffie's couch, which had a spring in it that always poked her back wrong whenever she had lain on it. That was how she had woken up the last time she did this. When she had just come to Jarta and didn't know what to do with herself. She had gotten drunk more than a few times back then.

Gingerly she minced her way to the bathroom and shed the black turtleneck she was inexplicably wearing as well as her underwear and climbed into the shower. When she walked out, robe clad and squinting at the world, she found Rufus sitting on the bed waiting for her.

"What are you doing here still?" She was cranky and didn't particularly want anyone seeing her like this. Vague recollections from last night were only starting to return to her. There was something she was mad at him about, she knew, and something else was important about him if she could grasp it. . .

"We need to talk, so I cancelled all my appointments until this afternoon." When he saw her make a shooing motion, he stood outside of the room and let her dress. "First of all last night was, hm, unacceptable."

"Listen," Tifa stuck her head out of the door to look him in the eyes. "You don't have to tell me that. I haven't gotten that sloshed in years and I don't plan on doing it any time soon again. Frankly, I don't know what came over me. What happened? Did I break anything?"

As she retreated to continue dressing, Rufus was silent as if choosing the subject to pursue. "I think that you made it very clear that you are troubled by both your bar and our," There was that disturbing pause again. "arrangement."

Tifa burst from the room in a flurry of wet hair and indignant gestures. "I'll just give it to you straight because I'm an honest person: of course I'm upset! My bar is about to fold and the only thing that I've invested time and love into for the last few years is about to disappear from my life. If your business suddenly folded wouldn't you be upset!" She clutched her head as the effort to yell had brought a surge of pain she couldn't ignore. Hangovers should be illegal.

"If you recall, it's something I'm well acquainted with, actually." It was said so evenly that Tifa almost didn't catch the fact that she was walking on dangerous ground.

"Oh, well, yes." With some of the steam behind her outburst stolen, she looked visibly deflated. "Then you know exactly how I feel." She sat down against a window and looked at the glistening wet city as it went about its morning business.

Rufus stood near her but maintained an acceptable distance not to be threatening. "I could give you money easily enough. If that's all you need. But that still doesn't address my other concern."

"I don't want your money. It was never about the money." Tifa was quiet. "And when it comes down to the. . .arrangement . . . in some ways, well, that is to say that. . ." She reflexively fisted her hands and released them. Tifa wanted to leave and exercise, or just do something to feel less twitchy and less pained. "It's not that bad. These days I almost believe that you could be a good person."

She was looking down at her hands, memorizing them, and didn't catch the gentle smile that softened his face and made him look less intimidating.

His voice wasn't gentle, however. "You have too much faith in people." Tifa's eyes burned with feeling as she got ready to defend the pure nature of her friends and the inherent nobility of most people, but Rufus simply caught her hands and pulled her up.

"Let's just get some breakfast; I'm hungry. I cancelled all my appointments to talk to you so, damn it, we're going to talk. Even if it's just you lecturing me all morning."

* * *

Yuffie offered the man a knife to look at. She was impatiently telling him about it's various features, hoping he'd either buy it or leave so that she could talk to Tifa, who had wandered in looking sheepish a couple minutes ago.

"Yeah, yeah, it's good for. . . stuff." She tapped her fingers against the counter, eyes open and aggressively staring at the man who was becoming increasingly nervous. "Look, you stick the sharp bit into things and yoink. I don't see why this is so difficult. You won't find a better one anywhere else, ok?"

"I'll, er, take it then." He handed the knife back with a cringe.

"Good man." She deposited the gil in a box under the counter and gave him the required smile (something Vincent had told her was expected of people in sales) and it was fierce enough to send him practically flying out of the shop. "Finally! Tifa, you ok? Last night you were in a pretty bad way."

"I know, I know. You didn't see all those shots I had before you came over to talk to me. I felt like someone pulled a death card on me." As it was everything still felt too light out despite the grey clouds covering everything.

"This mean the bar isn't opening today?" Yuffie seemed concerned.

Tifa looked down at her shoes, noticing how scuffed they were for the first time. "I'm not going to open it ever again. I just got the contracts to sign all the property over to Simon. I'll make a clean break of it and wish him well. He should be getting there soon to start preparing the food. I wanted to talk to you first though. There's a lot to say. In fact, I'll need to talk to Vincent too, at some point." She sat on the countertop. "I talked with Rufus this morning over breakfast."

"I left you with him last night. I didn't know what else to do, I mean, I always just tossed the drunks out like you told me to so I never knew what to do with em really. He didn't do anything to you did he?" Tifa wondered at how Yuffie always remained suspicious, even paranoid, of Rufus without failure.

Tifa felt somewhat happy to be able to finally unload some things, though, so even Yuffie's paranoia was cute to her. "He was a perfect gentleman. He always is. Or at least, the more I remember of last night, the more I respect him. This morning we had a talk.

"I told him that I was going to give up the bar, but I didn't want to be useless and he suggested I just start up a charity organization. I mean, I helped coordinate lots of things for AVALANCHE back in the day and now I could use those skills more constructively. Hopefully, I'll be doing a community out reach for the kids in the slums. You know, clean up areas and make parks and playgrounds instead of letting all those trash heaps take over. Maybe I'll tear down a condemned building or something to get some space."

Yuffie looked skeptical. "What's he getting out of this?"

"That's what's so amazing. He doesn't get anything! He isn't even going to use it as a tax write off. It will be entirely mine after he helps me set it up. I'll have total control, and maybe I can even get some of those snobby rich women to get in on it with me." Tifa grabbed her friend's shoulders and shook her a little. "I'll have purpose again, Yuffie!"

Despite herself Yuffie found herself starting to get excited about the project too. Tifa always had to be doing something to challenge herself, whether it was martial arts, or running a business and her enthusiasm was so addictively infectious. Now all that energy would be directed towards the people she cared about the most: the regular person struggling in the world.

"And I'm going to get on his case about finishing the Wall on the edge of the city as soon as the hotel takes off. I can do great things with my position now, no matter how much I hated it at the start!"

"What?" Yuffie latched on to the last statement. "I thought Rufus was what you wanted."

Tifa's enthusiasm dampened a bit. "That's the other thing I need to talk to you about. Rufus said I could tell you and Vincent since it was still troubling me to lie to you both. Only now it isn't a lie, exactly, anymore. It's confusing." The words came faster now that she was more nervous. "I think I may be starting to like him a little."

"Whoa there. Make sense. Start from the beginning."

The man who had bought the knife earlier walked in. "I didn't get a receipt, miss."

"Can't you see I'm busy!? Come back tomorrow!" The man scurried out of the door. "Now spill it, girl!"

Tifa twisted some of her long hair around her fingers. The story poured forth, with all of its twists and turns. The night at the bar when she helped the men, the visit from Rufus and the agreement she made while in jail, and the months of lying to everyone around them. Tifa ended with an apology and then waited as Yuffie went very pale and digested all the new information.

"So, let me get this straight. You married him because he threatened you, and you lied to us because you had to or else he was going to destroy a healthy portion of the city and possibly kill a lot of innocent people?" Tifa nodded. "But you think he's maybe changed a bit because he hasn't mentioned any threats since, he treats you nicely, and now he wants to help you?" She nodded again. "Are you crazy?!"

"What?"

"I can't believe you're grateful to him for letting you have the right not to lie to your closest friends when he took it away from you in the first place! Maybe he feels he doesn't need to mention the threats anymore! He's the one who is making you lose your bar! And you actually think he might have changed in the mere two plus months that you've lived together? In which you've barely talked, I might add, considering you live together. Do I need to go on, Vince?" Yuffie looked very red now, and she gasped a little from not breathing enough while she had yelled.

"You're not seeing the whole picture, I think. Besides, it's Tifa's choice to do what she wants." Vincent's calm voice came from the door at the front of the shop. Tifa hadn't even heard the bell ring to announce someone had entered. "I've been looking into his business practices since Tifa asked me all those months ago, and he's been keeping clean. Or at least as clean as most of the businessmen in town. None of the old tricks and cheats, which doesn't mean he isn't using new ones, but on the outside he's been honest enough. And except for that hotel fiasco, his projects have been benign. It's almost like he really isn't a Shinra any more."

Tifa was glad for further confirmation of something positive about Rufus. "No, he isn't a Shinra anymore. He said so himself, that Rufus Shinra was dead."

"I still think you're blinded by infatuation. He's a snake and you're going to get bit." Yuffie was sullen.

"I am *not* infatuated with him!" Tifa felt herself getting flustered. "I am still being careful. It just seems that if he wanted to really be cruel to me, he had a lot of opportunity that he never capitalized on and instead he's gone out of his way to be nice to me in some ways. I've got resources to fall back on if he double crosses me, and hopefully I have friends I can rely on as well." Tifa tried to catch Yuffie's eye as the other girl crossed her arms and stared into space.

Vincent swept over and put his hand on Tifa's shoulder. "Of course I'll always support you, and so will Yuffie once she calms down. You always had faith in us, and I will never forget it. If Rufus makes you happy, even if you're still working out some issues, then I will do nothing to oppose it. Your heart is too kind, and I worry that he wants to use you, but I think you're right in that he could have done much worse to you. Just be on your guard. I agree with Yuffie to some extent, in that I don't think he could ever really change." His gaze would always look a little dead and Tifa wondered about those vampire rumors. "For you I'll suspend my disbelief."

Tifa gave Vincent a smile, the soft heart of hers he referred to overflowing with love and relief to finally be able to represent herself truthfully. Throwing aside misgivings, she gave him a tight hug. He gave a little gasp and mentioned that if nothing else she could always come work here what with her fighting skills and nearly inhuman strength. Even Yuffie softened a little and said she would help with the charity when Tifa got it going and even lend a hand to Simon until he found someone to replace her.

When Tifa handed the papers to Simon not too much later he seemed surprised and somewhat dismayed. As always, he remained a man of few words and took the forms with only one question on his lips: why?

She explained as best as she could, without going into any detail about the private life she and Rufus shared, wrapping it up with "The time has come for it, I think. I'm starting out new again, Simon. This bar was an escape as much as it was something I cared about. Now I think I might be able to construct something just a good, maybe even better, and actually help people instead of numbing them with alcohol."

"Come back tomorrow." He looked worried. "Goodbye party."

"It isn't necessary, you know."

"I want to." He seemed even more agitated, in a very unusual way for Simon. "Come."

Tifa laughed off her apprehension and remorse, and nodded. "Ok. Tomorrow at opening I'll come by and we can have a party. I'll tell Yuffie. Oh yes, and she'll make drinks tonight, though I don't suppose hardly anyone will come, like always. Don't worry, once everyone knows it's your place they'll start coming back. We're the best bar in town!" Tifa took the contracts, newly signed, and headed out the door. She would have a long day with the lawyers telling them exactly what sort of charity she was setting up and how it would be run, as well as getting them to file this paperwork.

After she left, Simon got up and slowly made his awkward way to the phone. The number he dialed wasn't local, and he knew it was unwise to call on this phone but someone had to be notified. "We have to move it up. She's leaving tomorrow." The person at the other end was quiet a moment and then a stream of orders issued forth.

"Yes, sir." Simon said. "I'll make the arrangements. Mrs. Nova will be in our custody tomorrow. He'll have to listen to us then. . ."


	6. Chapter 6

It was a weekday and she was home before the a.m. It was almost unprecedented. She had forgotten how natural light, even dulled by the clouds outside, made the penthouse blindingly white. Tifa had discovered that Rufus did little else besides sleep or eat here and that's why it stayed so clean, but it needed a lived in feeling anyway. Maybe her creative energy could be poured out here as well. It wouldn't be adding that 'woman's touch' that some of the ladies talked about, simply a humanizing touch so that she didn't live in constant fear of staining something.

She could talk to Rufus about it when he came home, as well as update him on everything she had managed to do today. Besides setting up her charity as a non-profit, she had already tried to begin to recruit some of the more socially active society women to join her. She had a lunch date with about four of them for tomorrow, and she should be done in plenty of time to change and go over to the bar for her goodbye party.

That remained the only damper on her ebullient mood. A chapter of her life was really closing. It seemed almost as if she were not the same person anymore, what with her fancy new life and a husband she was only just starting to see as more than an evil demon out to ruin her existence. Maybe his dark side would come out when he realized she wanted to redecorate.

For the first time ever she greeted Rufus as he came home, watching him carefully as his tired expression pulled back into a falsely energized one. Not happier, just stronger. She could sympathize since she didn't like anyone knowing when she was close to collapse either. Even though he clearly wasn't up for it, Rufus still suggested that they go out and celebrate Tifa's new leap into the realm of helping others. Something seemed to be worrying him, but he refused to let her ask and instead changed the subject to make her tell about her day in great detail. It was something he always did; forcing her to talk about her day rather then mentioning what was troubling his mind.

As a change of pace, Tifa had them go to a little local place down near the edge of where the blue collar neighborhood met part of Old Downtown. The food was basic, but pretty decent for the prices and Rufus seemed overly conscious of the stares they were getting. Tifa, completely at home in place like this, ignored everyone around them and after a time even the people that recognized them just accepted the fact that even rich or famous people needed to eat. Since Tifa obviously wasn't acting as if she was slumming, there was no resentment and even Rufus seemed to be enjoying himself by the end.

"Must you insist on calling it the Lockhart Foundation? I mean, seriously Tifa, if you don't like the last name I gave you we could just change it to something else." She couldn't tell if he was joking. He took another bite of her cake.

"Well, you said it was going to be mine and I see nothing wrong naming it after myself in a way. And besides, I wouldn't know what name to change it to. Though I admit Tifa Nova sounds a little bit silly. The 'a' at the end of each word makes it sound odd." She slapped at his hand as he stole some more of her cake. "You didn't want a piece remember? I don't see why I have to share."

His eyes laughed at her as he took another bite anyway. "Because you think I'm a good person."

"That's a low blow. See if I ever compliment you again if it means you get to steal my dessert." Tifa paid (after arguing for nearly fifteen minutes about whether she should be allowed to pay for her own celebratory dinner), leaving a generous tip, and they walked towards home in the drizzle that was only just starting as dusk forced all the streetlamps to switch on.

Tifa thought about what she would be doing if Rufus hadn't forced her to marry him. Probably she would be in her bar, serving drinks and laughing at inane stories. It would have been happy, and at the time she knew that it was a great way to live, but she didn't know how long she expected to go on like that. At what point would she wake up and realize that she didn't want to serve another drink? How many years until she started to be lonely more often than just those few hours she was at home?

Even if it started out as enforced, she was willing to admit to herself that Rufus was good company. He could talk intelligently about many subjects besides business or politics, and he had had much more formal education than she had been able to supply herself with. Their dinners alone had been silent and awful at first, but he proved himself an adept conversationalist once both of them had given the other half a chance.

But he couldn't tell jokes worth anything, and he sometimes had a habit of being obsessive about keeping his appearance immaculate. Since he didn't really have any friends that came to call, most of his time seemed to be consumed by work or more reading. Surprisingly, he had a fondness for music of all sorts. It was a strangely sentimental thing about him. Also, he was vain, and had a tendency to check himself out in any available shiny surface.

Rufus was fairly ordinary, is what this all told her, and he was grounded in reality and strangely well adjusted. Maybe it was that near death experience. She had heard things like that often caused people to put things into perspective. Now instead of desiring world domination, he'd settle for one town. Instead of a private secret police, he had a formidable staff of lawyers. Her mind gave itself up to some free association.

"Rufus?" He looked at down at her. "Is there anyone you trust? I mean, like how I trust Yuffie or Vincent."

Her question had clearly caught him off guard. "I suppose I'm obliged to trust some of my lawyers. My assistants and secretary are also under confidentiality agreements. Besides that, they all fear me. Most people do, because of who they think I used to be. Fear is useful, it means I don't actually have to take actions against them." Tifa looked disappointed, as what he described didn't sound like her friendships at all. Maybe he had missed the point. "I have to trust you, simply on your honor. More then all the rest of them."

"I see."

The streets were nearly deserted as people ran home to get out of the rain and back to a warm dinner. Spring hadn't been very warm so far this year. They turned a corner and walked a few more blocks.

"You know," Rufus kept his voice low so that it would only carry to Tifa. "after the hotel is finished, you can divorce me if you want. Irreconcilable differences. I won't stop you. Though I want you to know that I never would have destroyed the Wall, even if you had said no in the beginning. I was desperate to save my work, and I would have said anything."

Tifa laced her arm into his. "I'll think about it." It wasn't a yes or a no. She would need to consider the state of things some more. Between her growing attraction and growing respect for this man, maybe that divorce wouldn't be necessary. Of course, she had months to think about it.

"Oh yes," He unwound his arm and reached into his coat pocket. "I got this for you quickly after work. They were closing and it isn't the most expensive thing I could have gotten, but considering how you almost never wear any of those other baubles I thought you'd appreciate something less flashy anyway." It was a small solid gold heart on a silver chain. Yes, she could wear that. "Congratulations on the 'Lockhart Foundation' and may your projects be terrorist free." She pushed him a little harder than she meant to and he gave an 'oof' as he hit the side of a building.

"Sorry! Sorry! I just don't know my own strength sometimes." She watched his wounded expression with some circumspection. "Though I have my doubts that you are ever actually caught unaware."

Rufus smirked. "You know I like to let others keep their illusions."

"Like how you're a mean, evil, sinister man who would stop at nothing to succeed?"

"That's true. You just seem to not want to accept it." Now his eyes were sparkling with held back laughter. "You make me sound like an ogre. Do I really seem like that?"

"Yes." She didn't hesitate a moment.

"Good." Now Tifa did laugh out loud.

"You're impossible!" When her arm laced back into his, clutching the necklace, it seemed natural enough. It hadn't occurred to her until now that maybe he was trying to make this marriage work, but she just hadn't noticed before. If gifts were his way of showing affection. . . then he felt more than the diffident apathy she had accredited him with. The thought, rather than disturbing her, made her feel warm. Tifa knew how to love people, even if she wouldn't admit to being good at anything else, and the more love she could create in the world made her that much happier.

She gave Rufus' arm an extra squeeze.

* * *

Tifa gave herself a final going over as she stood at the entrance of The Citizen. The name would probably change once Simon got some time and thought it out. Maybe he would keep it, but that didn't matter so much to her any more. Right now all she wanted to concentrate on was how happy she was for Simon to take over and keep the bar alive or sell it as he would. She knew that the property that she had just handed over to him would skyrocket in value once the hotel was finished and he would be secure for the rest of his life if he ever wished to sell. That was the main parting gift and the greatest use that bar could have been. For years of faithful service, it was the least she could do for the old mercenary.

The day had even cleared up some, as if to reflect her happy mood. The streets had that partially damp look as the most saturated bits began to feel a little bit of warmth from the sun. It was getting lighter in the evening and she looked forward to the day that the trees around here would sprout leaf buds. That would start any day now.

Luncheon with the ladies had gone well, and she was sure she could raise more support for the Lockhart Foundation given a few more weeks. The idea of actually going to clean up and beautify the slums made her really joyous. Maybe even a community garden could be planted. Remembering her own days in the slums, it was so rare to find a place that seemed untouched, and she knew she would have cherished something like a garden or a playground. It wasn't a handout, which people there would have seen as an insult, it was a way to share the prosperity she had come into.

While she stood there, thinking, Simon opened the door. At his rare smile she walked in and handed him a bottle of somewhat expensive champagne.

"Alcohol?" Simon seemed truly perplexed.

"I thought it would be funny. Besides, I don't plan on drinking anything. That's really for you as congratulations." He seemed to look sad at her words. "Is there anyone else or will it just be us and Yuffie? Did Vincent say he would come? I know he doesn't usually show up for parties. I remember how he refused to show up to his own birthday party this year. Yuffie was so angry, after working so hard to organize it."

"There are a few others. Yuffie will be a little late. Would you like a glass of something?" He shuffled back with his limp to the bar.

"No thanks." The five people who were here were unfamiliar. Tifa felt insecure now, the hairs rising on her arms and her muscles flexing as if she were tensing for a fight. She should have been relaxing before fights, but tension wired her system too much. "I don't believe we've met before. . ."

"I insist. Have a drink." Simon pushed something to her across the counter.

"I said I was fine. Thanks though. Are these your friends?"

"You could say that." Simon looked tired. "Please, Mrs. Nova, it would go much better with you if you just had a drink."

Tifa was trusting, but she wasn't slow. "Tell me what's going on Simon. I don't like the way this is going. If these people have something to say to me then they should just come forward and say it without all this skulking."

"They don't have anything to say to you. Just to your husband. I'm sorry, Mrs. Nova, I really am. We just don't know what else to do."

Tifa calculated in her head how close she could get to winning when she was outnumbered this badly. It had been a while too, since she had fought so many people at once and the tactics were not something she usually planned. Hopefully, it just came back to you, like riding a bike or calling a chocobo.

"Simon, I'm very sorry. But you understand I won't come quietly."

"I wouldn't expect any less, Mrs. Nova. He warned us you wouldn't go without a fight."

Tifa didn't stop to analyze the curious nature of that statement as she crouched down and sprang onto the bar counter gracefully. As Simon tried to grab her ankles she did a back flip to land behind him in the small space behind the bar. If it had been anyone else in that room she would have broken his neck and made for the back door, but she wouldn't hurt Simon even after all this. However, she would seriously threaten him. Picking up the knife she used to cut limes, she pressed it against his throat and backed away holding onto him, despite his tall stature. She was sure his back had to bend painfully to conform to the position, but she didn't care so long as this kept the other people in the room at bay.

"I'd take you all in a fair fight, but I'd much rather not hurt anyone. I only fight for self defense. . . and sometimes for fun, I'll admit. But somehow I don't think you'll all face me one by one so I can conveniently beat you, so I'm going to walk out of here and you aren't going to stop me or else I'm going to give Simon here a puncture wound in his neck." She hated it. All her battles were supposed to end after Meteor. It never ended.

As she pulled Simon back, none of the people stopped her. The hats that obscured their features did nothing to mask the odd smiles on their faces. It was creepy and she wanted out of this loony bin. What about Yuffie? Had they done something to her? Where was she?

"I'm sorry about this Simon," Tifa whispered harshly. "I won't press charges or even mention that you had any connection to this. But know that if I ever see you anywhere near me again, I'll make your other leg lame. Friendship can only give you so much forgiveness with me for this." That wasn't entirely true, but she was pretty angry at the moment.

"And I'm sorry too, Mrs. Nova." As she backed into the kitchen what she could only assume was a pot came down on the back of her head. It stunned her but didn't bring her down. She pushed Simon forward through the swinging kitchen door as she tried to get her bearings and focus on her attacker.

Her punch landed with a satisfying crunch into the nose of the woman who had hit her, but now she realized how naïve she had been to think there wouldn't be more as backup. Now the best option would be to fight her way through the front and try to get to the public street. Once she was in public, her odds improved greatly. She dove through the small window where Simon slid the orders in from the kitchen and hid behind the bar a moment. Simon looked her in the eyes from his position on the floor, remorse shining, and she gave a brief nod before she sprang up and faced the first two men.

A lump was going to form on her head, that was for certain, but the pain was already fading as she got a rush of adrenaline. While she dropped the first man and held back the second, someone grabbed her from behind. She yelled to get all the air out of her lungs and give her extra push as she picked her attack up with a powerful jump and tossed the both of them onto a table which broke beneath the force. The rush of air that signaled her attacker being winded gave her enough confidence to break from his hold only to perform a stunning set of kicks and punches to a woman who had stepped up to take advantage of their prone position. Someone tried to stab her with something, but Tifa was moving too quickly to feel more than a prick or two.

Tifa was half way to the door. There were two people in her way and she faced two more, one getting up from the broken table. Tifa's eyes had lit with battle and she could feel where bruises were going to form from throwing her body around, but it didn't matter. She was winning.

If only Yuffie were here, she would love this, she found herself thinking as she dodged most of the punches a man threw at her. One hit her in the arm with enough force to cause it to go numb. At least they weren't holding back and they had a little skill. Not much, but enough to be trouble for all their number. Well, she wouldn't hold back either then. She became a flurry of activity, moving her way steadily towards the door and warding off the attempts to block her by the four conscious and effective people in the room.

With a sense of victory she reached the door, and she kicked it open, knocking it off of its hinges to leap into the street. . . and face seven more people, all with hoods and standing in front of a dark van.

She was screwed.

Seeing a blur of movement, she moved her hand fast enough to catch the first dart or two, but they had shot four at her from different angles. The world became hazy almost instantly and she tried to hold her fighting stance and ward them away. She wouldn't go down easily. As someone tried to restrain her, she threw them past her shoulder and onto the ground, pinning their neck under her shoe. More darts impacted into her body, but she could barely feel them now, as her whole body went numb.

"You'd never take me in a fair fight. . ." She mumbled as she fell forward. Her legs just couldn't stand anymore. But she fell with a smile. At least they hadn't underestimated her. They had sent fourteen people to capture one unarmed one. It was nice to know she wasn't losing her touch entirely.

* * *

The ropes were strong and the gag was tight, that much she knew even before she fully regained consciousness. Part of that had to do with the fact that she couldn't feel any blood in her hands and she was just about choking on the gag, and part of it had to do with the fact that she was sure they weren't going to give someone like her any chance to escape by being so sloppy.

It was dark and cold, wherever it was, and she tried to get a better idea of where she was, other than that it was dry here. After she struggled around for a while, as much to generate heat as any attempt to survey things or escape, the door opened and Simon limped in. He removed the gag and offered her some water, which she accepted. Tifa figured that as a kidnap victim, they would have a vested interest in keeping her alive and if the water were drugged she'd deal with as she may. Her plans often didn't extend beyond 'beat them all up and get the hell out' so plotting to escape seemed like a headache and a half.

Speaking of headaches. That woman with the pan had hit *hard*. Tifa smiled a little at that, since she had given back as good as she got. Probably broke the bitch's nose, from the feeling. She knew she didn't hit the teeth because her knuckles hadn't cracked open at that point in the fight. Taking stock of all her injuries was easy enough: bloody knuckles, various bruises on her ribs and arms, lump on head (possibly a concussion if the sleepiness wasn't just from the drugs), rope burn on her wrists and ankles. Nothing felt broken, which was a mercy, and if she was cut anywhere she didn't know.

"Take a picture, why don't you." She spat at Simon, who was just looking down at her.

Simon looked sad again, and she was immediately sorry for hurting his feelings. She couldn't help it, she always had a soft spot for friends and Simon hadn't really done anything physically to her. His motives were still cloudy, so she didn't want to leap to conclusions.

"Don't give me that look. . .look, you can't expect me to be nice when I'm all tied up like this. Can't you loosen them up? They really hurt." He shook his head. It had been worth a shot. "Then give me another drink of water and get out of here."

After Simon had done so, he was about to leave when she called out one last thing.

"Are Yuffie and Vincent safe?" Simon looked surprised, then nodded.

"Only you were taken, Mrs. Nova." And then he was gone. She saw daylight through the door, and rubble. Tifa surmised that they were not in Jarta anymore and that she had probably slept a full day or maybe a little less, because the light was too bright to be anything but morning or early afternoon.

Tifa lived like this for the better part of a day. Tied and on her side, cold enough to feel numb but not cold enough to freeze to death or actually get frostbite. Simon was the only one she saw when he brought water and some oatmeal-like substance for a meal, but he let her get up and released her long enough to take her to a place to go to the bathroom and that's when she saw where she was.

It had to be a compound within the ruins of Midgar. They wouldn't have been able to hide in Jarta since Rufus would have found them immediately, but this far away gave them a measure of safety. As people with guns and swords eyed her malevolently, Simon guided her forward to a portable toilet where she did her business and came out to let herself be bound again, though Simon didn't pull it quite so tight. The sentries had their guns trained on her, and she hadn't missed that. Today was a good day to live.

"I demand to see your leader. This treatment is terrible, and I refuse to be peacefully led around much longer if someone with some authority doesn't speak to me." Few people had ever been able to meet her angry stare for very long, but Simon's mournful eyes refused to give up.

"You won't have to wait much longer. He returns tonight." Those words did nothing to reassure her, but she didn't let her stare waver. Holding her head high, she marched back into the shed. Until evening fell, and at somewhat regular intervals, people threw things at her shed. They yelled obscenities about Rufus, mostly, rather than her. Tifa understood their frustration, and at one time she might have done something similar, but since she was at the undeserving receiving end of things she felt less understanding than normal.

Patience was not one of her virtues, but she stored up all her anger and waited to meet this man who had ordered her capture for the sole purpose of terrorizing her husband. She used to call Rufus a monster in her head, and he hadn't entirely redeemed himself yet, but whoever had done this had just found the monster-sized hole in her expectations and filled it. She would very much enjoy punching someone at the moment, maybe even several someones. At least Yuffie and Vincent weren't involved yet. She knew they would come for her. The three of them were a force to be reckoned with and this small group would learn that there were better ways to get what you want than brute force.

The door opened, the light nearly gone in the sky, and a figure strode in with no visible limp. Without light she couldn't make out features, just the general very muscular outline of the arms and an unruly mane of hair.

"I'm so sorry, Tifa. They misunderstood when I instructed them to use a minimum of force and treat you as well as possible. I'll discipline them later." She knew that voice, and all the parts of her that weren't numb seemed to freeze. It was silly, but her first concern was the fact that she looked a mess. Then the anger she had been holding in surged forward to overtake her brain and vocal chords.

"Cloud Strife, you bastard, I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"

"That doesn't exactly make me want to move you to somewhere more comfortable." Was he laughing at her? Her eyes burned into his, the dying light of the day reflecting off of them and making them glow almost red. Cloud took a step forward. "Tifa, we need to talk."

Through the pain and the stress of everything that had gone on, this was by far the worst thing she had faced so far. "Then talk. It isn't like I can walk away."


	7. Chapter 7

Tifa dabbed at the dried blood on the back of her knuckles with a wet cloth. Finding that treating it gingerly helped nothing, she scrubbed at it until new blood began to well and the skin looked white and clean where it wasn't split. The bandages nearby she used to wrap them up. It would sting to take the bandages off, and probably it would catch and open up the wounds yet again, but at least they were clean and protected by the gauzy stuff. Cloud watched her from across the room soundlessly as she did something he used to watch her do many times when they had traveled together.

"So." Tifa said when she taped the bandage down on her hand and started wrapping the other.

"So." Cloud responded.

"I really thought you'd just wait an even decade before finding me again. Or that I'd just never hear from you again." She tried to keep her voice light.

"You seem to have done fine for yourself, Mrs. Shinra."

"Don't you dare. Just don't." She finished binding up the other hand and looked Cloud in his deep blue eyes that she swore still glowed after all this time. "If you knew half as much as you think you do, you'd know how much it killed me to get married and know that I had to let you go." Even now, maybe especially now, she wasn't going to let Cloud know her marriage was a sham. But she could still say a lot. "Why did you leave, if you care so much?"

Cloud hadn't expected her to turn it back to him so viciously. He stood up and paced a bit. "This isn't about me! This is about you marrying the enemy. Shinra. Rufus Shinra! He tried to kill me, he should have been dead, but here he is alive and taking over another city and instead of doing your job and fighting him you've gone and married him?!"

"So quick to draw conclusions. What if he changed? What if he's just trying to rebuild like everyone else and making empires is all he knows? At least he creates jobs and housing, and helps to put together this broken world again. What are you doing? Playing bandit king? These people don't need any more destruction."

He paced more quickly now, and she could tell by the signs that he was getting really angry even if it didn't show obviously. It was possible he would just storm out, like he always did when they used to argue. "People like him don't change." Cloud seethed. "He'll always be evil, manipulative, and controlling."

"It isn't that black and white, Cloud. You always wanted things to be simple. I tried to give you simple, but you obviously didn't want from me. Now tell me, why did you leave?!" She was obsessed, she had to know. Nothing else mattered anymore.

After sliding down to sit down again beside the lamp that lit up the shed, he regarded the controlled flame with great interest before he looked up at her with glazed eyes. "I knew I was going to ruin it all. You deserved someone better." Suddenly, he snapped out of whatever daze he had been in and picked up the lamp before marching towards the door. "I'll be back tomorrow, I have things to take care of. Don't try to escape, you'll just get shot. Good night Tifa."

"Don't you run away from me!" Tifa yelled after him, but the door was already closed. "Not again." For the first time since she had been captured, she felt tears run down her face. He shouldn't warrant any more of her tears, she thought, and so choked the rest of them back. She picked up the bowl that held the rag and the water she had used to clean herself with and tossed it against the door with a heave, spraying water all over and shattering the bowl. It did nothing to make her feel better about any of this. She wanted Vincent. She wanted Yuffie. She wanted Rufus. Mostly, she just didn't want to feel alone or abandoned anymore.

* * *

Simon came in the next morning to take her to the toilet again. When they got into the shed, he presented her with a change of clothes and a blanket. Tifa was grateful for the added bit of warmth, but she said nothing to Simon during the entire business. There was no reason to talk to him or anyone else. Tifa felt like the living dead, having spent the night awake and shivering with a splitting headache. She was afraid to sleep just in case she really did have a concussion. Thinking about that gave her something to concentrate on that wasn't the blond soldier who tried to consume her waking mind.

He would be back. He wouldn't have the nerve to leave her like this, with no real explanation. Humph. And he had the nerve to accuse Rufus of not changing, when he himself was just as self absorbed as he always had been.

Yelling and some sort of fight broke out not to far away from her shed. At one point someone hit the side of the shed she was facing, and Tifa watch as part of the wall indented under the force of the impact. A rescue party?

It had only been an idle hope, and after a moment when Simon came in with a nasty cut over one eye Tifa almost got curious enough to ask. As she opened her mouth, Cloud walked in, and the question died to be replaced by a carefully blank stare. She had had all night to practice it, and she hoped it was just as aloof and nasty as she hoped it was. That was the intended effect, at any rate.

"You can go Simon." Cloud waved the man away, and then faced Tifa again. "People out there are getting restless. Rufus hasn't responded to their demands, and they want to take a finger or an ear of yours to show they mean business. Simon, as you saw, clearly didn't agree with them."

"They want? Not you? I thought you were the leader of this outfit." It was nice to know her fingers were currently safe for the moment.

"Damnit Tifa, you know I don't usually involve myself in things like this. I swear I didn't even know that you were the Mrs. Nova they planned to kidnap until the very last minute. I was in too deep to stop it, so I tried to make things a little easier."

She gestured around at the dirty shed. "And you've done a grand job. It's a veritable palace you've provided for me."

Cloud looked irritated. "No one comes in to regularly beat you, do they? You've been fed. You get regular bathroom trips. I think I did a decent job of getting you humane treatment considering how much those people out there hate Rufus Shinra, and you by extension."

"Nova. His name is Nova now. He isn't Shinra." She had to drop the stare. It was just too difficult to hold on to so much hate without giving herself an even worse headache. "Look, Cloud, I know you're angry at me, but I really think I deserve to know why. . ."

". . . I left." He finished for her. "I came to tell you why you'd been kidnapped, but that doesn't seem to concern you very much."

Tifa looked grim. "I can guess at that. This is something I can't figure out even after years of conjecturing."

Cloud sat down across from her, a little to the right of the indent, and made a steeple of his fingers and he seemed to search for words. "It wasn't too long after we started sleeping together. I don't mean having sex, I mean really just sleeping together." They both slipped into a mental time warp together, picturing those days. "Things were getting serious, and I didn't know where it was going to lead. Kids? Marriage? I wasn't all that afraid of commitment. You almost made it look appealing." Yes, this was definitely Cloud. Always managing to make a compliment sound insulting.

"Then what was wrong?"

"Nothing. That was the problem." Cloud seemed still visibly troubled. "I woke up next to you and looked down and realized that this was as perfect a moment as I should ever be allowed. I've done so much to hurt others in this world, I knew I didn't deserve that kind of happiness. Not yet. You did though, and I would just end up dragging you down into my own shame so I left. I left to try to fix whatever I could, help whomever I could, and atone." His head hung down. "I'm still atoning. But I thought that if I was gone you could find a better life."

Tifa wanted to hit him. "You idiot. I didn't want a perfect life, or a better life. I wanted you. When you were gone that first year, I would have killed myself I hadn't believed so strongly that any day you'd come back for me." Cloud looked alarmed when she mentioned that. "Oh, don't worry, I snapped out of that after a while. But that hope never went away. Not until recently anyway. I'd been forgetting the pain, and healing that open sore you ripped into me."

"How? With Shinra?" He spat the name.

"I know you want me to deny it, but I can't. Yes, Rufus has started to fill a lot of the emotional spots you left unfulfilled. But now I know that at least it wasn't something I did." Tifa looked sour, her mouth drawing into a tight line, her body limp and resting against the wall. She was so tired now, and she wanted to sleep. "It was all you. You got scared."

"I did it for both of us. There was too much blood on my hands, Tifa. How could you know the things I did, under orders or otherwise."

Tifa closed her eyes, emotionally and physically drained. So sleepy. "I forgave you Cloud. I had sins weighing on myself as well, but I was working through it by living what I thought was a good life. Unfortunately, I ended up making myself too dependent on you. I'll admit that was my mistake."

"And now you're making another one. With Rufus. . ."

She came to life, out of the sleep that she had been only imperfectly holding at bay. "He isn't running from his troubles. He has just as much, if not more, sin to atone for then either of us. If I choose to stay with him and try to make the world a little better through the resources he offers me, that is my choice. You forfeited your right to hold influence on my decisions the day you walked out and left me alone in the world after having promised otherwise." It killed her inside. She still loved him, but they would just make the same mistakes all over again. So long as Cloud couldn't forgive himself, they couldn't be together.

They both looked inward, examining options and futures that might have been. Cloud spoke first. "I love you Tifa, and I think I always will."

"And I love you too Cloud, but you hurt me. You broke my trust. Now I have new promises I need to fulfill." But what of summer? She could get divorced. . . WEAK! Stupid weak Tifa! She wanted to slap herself. It was so easy to fall under his spell again. "You should go. Yuffie and Vincent will come soon, I can feel it, and then this place will turn into a war zone. I don't want to see you fighting friends."

"What about these people? They trust me to not desert them when things get rough. I made them promises too." Cloud was always so conscientious of his duty to groups of people; it made him a good soldier, and a good hero. Unfortunately, it made him a lousy boyfriend.

Tifa shrugged. "I could never make you do anything."

He smiled, still handsome even though lines were starting to show from worry and rough living. "You're pretty stubborn yourself."

"I hope you find the peace you're searching for, Cloud. I know you don't understand my choices right now, but I have faith that you'll understand them and much more soon enough. Now get out of here before some of my unpopularity rubs off on you. You saw what happened to Simon." Smile Tifa, she told herself. Just smile and watch him go this time, and maybe you can deal with it a little better this round.

Cloud almost made it out without another word, but he couldn't help himself. "There isn't anyone else for me but you, Tifa. You know that don't you?"

"You'll always be my friend Cloud. Even though I may be mad at you I know there's always a place for you in my heart." He seemed reassured by this, but she was being honest like she always was.

"Good bye, Tifa."

"Good luck, Cloud."

Now she felt like she could sleep, and after wrapping herself in the blanket, she did just that.

* * *

Tifa awoke to the sound of gunshots. It had to be night because as she heard the thin metal of the shed puncture from rather a large number of shots, no light entered in from the holes, though she swore she saw a star and then a flash of light. Good thing she was already lying on the ground or else she might have been hurt by that first volley. Inching her way along the floor got her to the door. The shed obviously didn't provide much tangible protection, and she figured it was better to see who was shooting at her rather than just hope that chance let her avoid a bullet wound.

The door opened easily enough (a good solid kick broke the lock that had been placed on it), and she was glad for that as she was feeling rather weak. Since she was pretty much dead center in the compound it wasn't as if she could edge off into the shadows. Only one or two large search lights was shedding light on the battle, as she noted five or six that had been shot out after whipping her head out to take stock of things. It was just the sort of thing Vincent liked to do, attack under cover of darkness after sniping enemy lights. Too bad the one over this half of the shed was still in working order and sweeping over trying to illuminate everything in turn.

Should she run for it? People were screaming orders, running around, shooting frantically, and in general it seemed chaotic enough for her to get away with not being recognized in the fray. That could work against her too, for both sides might end up shooting at her anyway. Bah, she was a woman of action, and this sort of indecision was unbecoming. Wrapping the blanket over her like a cloak, she swiftly ran out into the open, and then realized exactly how chaotic everything was.

A roar and some screams from behind her told her that Vincent was probably in a state that she didn't want to encounter him in. Maniacal feminine laughter that was piercing enough to carry over the wall of the compound gave away Yuffie's location, but she was beyond any sort of visual contact. There were people in black fighting people in camouflage but since Tifa had never seen anyone but Simon she had no idea which side was which. She didn't want to hide, but she couldn't fight. It was certainly an impasse, and while she tried to sort things out she dodged and weaved her way over to a consistently dark patch since it seemed like there were fewer people in that direction. Maybe she could make her way towards the gate.

An explosion caused pretty much everyone to dive for the ground as the dark corner Tifa had been heading for exploded inward in a shower of cement and wood, taking out a number of unlucky people who had been too close. One search light trained itself on the breach, and amidst a number of black uniformed people with guns who entered through the hole to engage in combat came a man, shotgun resting lazily on his shoulder, dressed in an improbably white outfit. It was entirely unsuitable for any sort of stealth since you could pick him out at a hundred yards, the way he glowed under the light, white trenchcoat streaming as he marched forward.

"Oh holy. . ." Tifa groaned. Rufus' egotistical sense of bravado was going to get him killed! She pulled the blanket tighter over her face and tried to avoid getting challenged or recognized by anyone.

Rufus seemed to be waiting for something, and as Cloud stepped up, dressed in black and carrying a large sword, Tifa almost screamed at the two of them. They were speaking, and slowly the fighting was dying down as everyone focused in on these two legendary figures who seemed about to reenact a fight that had taken place between them a long time ago. It was so stupid, pointless really, and Tifa felt like she had to prevent it if she could. Dropping the blanket, to the shock of several people near her who had only just noticed the Rufus-Cloud confrontation, Tifa made a straight path for herself to the men (often knocking aside people on the way there).

Whatever taunts they had thrown at one another, they had finished by the time she got there. Now it was a standoff, with Rufus pointing his gun squarely at Cloud's chest while Cloud looked like he was waiting for a cue to charge. So long as Cloud stayed at a distance, Rufus had the upper hand because his gun had range, but if Cloud didn't get taken down by Rufus' shot then Rufus was doomed. When it came to close combat, Cloud had no equal, and he had spent the past few years continuing to train and fight whereas Rufus had not, even if he was fairly fit and retained skill with his gun.

"Stop it both of you!" Their eyes flickered over to her only for a moment before focusing back on one another again. "I'm right here. Now put down your weapons, and we'll go home. It's over, and this is pointless."

In the silence, she thought she would just start screaming if one of them didn't say something. Cloud obliged her. "I have to finish what I started, Tifa. Don't get in the way." As he spoke Tifa watched Rufus' finger tighten and then ease back on the trigger of his gun. She could see how much he wanted to pull it, but in the end he lowered the gun's tip away from pointing at Cloud's chest.

"Just give me the girl, and I and my forces will withdraw." Tifa's heart swelled with the beginnings of relief, but it was a little too soon for that.

Cloud's eyes narrowed as his sword didn't relax in his hands. "You know I can't let you take her." The addition 'from me' almost seemed implied. Stupid Cloud, she mentally screamed, by making it personal he was endangering the lives of all those people he had sworn to aid.

"Don't be silly. You're outnumbered and outgunned. I'm offering you a better option than total surrender or annihilation which is all you'll get if this continues." Rufus still clenched his gun in his hand, his muscles twitching the barrel up a little.

Neither of them were given much choice in the matter, ultimately, as someone from Cloud's side got the bright idea of forcing the issue to some conclusion no matter what that conclusion might be. Tifa heard the shot, but she was so intent on Cloud and Rufus that it took a moment to register as her body was propelled back from the impact. Whoever had shot her wasn't a very good marksman, because as she clutched at her chest and gasped, she knew that it was probably a punctured lung rather than a killing shot to her head or heart. With medical aid an hour or more away in Jarta, her survival chances weren't very good. All this passed through her mind before she hit the ground.

What also happened before she hit the ground was that both Cloud and Rufus turned on this would-be hero of his people. A hole in his chest and the separation of his head from his body by a large blade were all he got for his trouble. But he had made himself the last casualty of this battle. . . if Tifa didn't end up taking that honor from him. Now that she was staring up at the searchlight, she thought that it was a lot brighter and more piercing that she liked and that 'going into the light' was probably similarly unpleasant.

"Hang on Tifa, don't you dare leave us." She couldn't tell if the voice was male or female, as she was more intent on the ugly feeling of blood filling her lung as she coughed up the rust colored stuff all over herself and the ground. Hands lifted her, moved her, and the horrible light no longer filled her vision.

She was by no means certain of her death, because nothing was over until the end, but she was worried sick that she wouldn't be able to say all the important things if she was going to die. Why couldn't she have been shot in the gut, or the back, or at least somewhere that would let her gasp out her last sentiments without vomiting out a fountain of blood with every attempt. There was no solution except to live, so that she could tell everyone how much she loved them and what they meant to her. It was not time to join the lifestream yet; she wouldn't let it be her time.

There was a car, and it took off at what must have been a terrifying speed because every large bump tossed it up into the air, and therefore her as well, abusing her body further. But she bore it all, and focused on how soon she would be getting help and the pain would stop.

Or she wouldn't get help, and the pain would still stop.

Slowly, she forced herself to focus in on what was going on again. She saw Yuffie holding her, even though Yuffie herself didn't look to be in very good shape. Rufus, white coat and pants stained with blood, was screaming orders into a phone and to the driver in turns.

"Don't ya die on me Tifa. I'll be so mad I won't go to your funeral. I swear I won't." Tifa tried to speak again, or breathe, and it only resulted in more blood pouring forth from her as she coughed onto Yuffie, splattering her shirt. "Dammit man! Move this bucket faster!" The poor, harassed driver tried to comply.

Yuffie attempted to keep Tifa focused on staying conscious, or else she was just talking to relieve stress, but the words poured forth. Some of what she spoke of were accounts of the battle that had just happened, some of it consisted of swearing at Tifa and threatening her if she tried to fade out, and the rest of it was nonsensical and worried blathering or more of her yelling at the driver to go faster.

Somehow they made it into the city without crashing, and they pulled into the hospital just as Tifa's body began to shake. Once the doctors had gotten her onto some sort of cart and injected something into her arm, Tifa finally let her worry fade a little. She knew that it was going to be ok. The only lights she was seeing weren't calling her anywhere and they were just as harsh on her eyes as the first light had been. She would stay on this planet a while longer before joining the lifestream.


	8. Chapter 8

"This is a hospital right? Well, give me some drugs! I hurt all over!" Tifa didn't speak too emphatically or loudly mainly because breathing was still a bit painful, but she could still be twice as demanding to make up for the lack of volume. The poor nurse tried to explain that giving her more drugs would be bad for her body, and that it wasn't like the old days when they could use magic to supplement cases like this and they were still developing a system to treat people. Tifa looked around for a bedpan or something to throw, but calmed herself when visitors were led in.

Yuffie waved cheerfully, and Vincent handed Tifa some flowers. It was nice to see some friendly faces. Maybe now she could get the full story of what exactly happened during her rescue two days ago. Not that it had been a very effective rescue since she had let herself out, had presented herself directly without much opposition, and still had nearly gotten killed. Tifa pulled herself from the pit of negativity that she had slumped into, and tried to seem healthy and cheery.

"I wish I could have helped in some way." Vincent said in his sedate tone of voice. "I didn't hear about what happened until a while after you had left." He removed a vase from inside his coat and took the flowers from Tifa to deal with them. "I saw Cloud before he left."

"You don't need to mention anything he said. Our discussion finished long before the fighting broke out. Now I want an explanation for how you all found me in the first place. It wasn't as if those people had a sign up or anything, and Midgar's a big place on its own."

Yuffie drew her toe across the lines of the checkered pattern on the floor. "Well, ya see, we weren't much use until the end. That no good. . . I mean that husband of yours did most of the work organizin' stuff." Her eyes leapt to Tifa's at the end of that announcement. "But once we got there no one kicked more ass than me, except maybe Vince."

"And where is said husband, may I ask?"

"At work. He sent this note with us to give to you when visitors were allowed in." Vincent handed her the slip of paper, and Tifa stuffed it under the pillow she was leaning on. Right now she was more interested in paying attention to her friends.

Over the next hour or two Yuffie and Vincent constructed as best they could, what happened after she had been kidnapped. Yuffie had shown up at the party an hour late due to customers that she just couldn't get rid of who had eaten up her time, and then some other random people who had stopped her on the street and insisted she sign things for their kids. Tourists did that to all of them every so often, but it was obviously a diversionary tactic in hindsight.

When Yuffie had arrived at the bar she found it in the condition that Tifa had left it, with a couple people gawking in front at the state of the bar. It only took a moment or two for Yuffie to look inside and figure out what probably happened, because if something like this had occurred and Tifa hadn't sought Yuffie out then odds were Tifa was in no condition to talk. After a quick sweep of the surrounding area to make sure that Tifa wasn't hurt and lying down somewhere, Yuffie ran and got Vincent. Vincent in turn went to see Rufus, but Rufus was refusing to see anyone.

It took threatening quite a number of people and dropping Tifa's name to get Yuffie and Vincent an audience with Rufus. He seemed unsurprised by the news, but thanked them politely anyway, and said to come get him if they heard anything else that was useful. They in turn offered their services if anything could be done. They were shown out of the building and then Vincent and Yuffie had waited at home for news for over a day.

Yuffie had been sharpening yet another one of her weapons, killing time the only way she knew how when she was so wound up, when she had gotten a call. It was from Simon. All he had said was: She's in the Southeast of Midgar, and then he had hung up. That was enough for Yuffie, who flew into action.

They told Rufus, who offered to let them join in on the force he planned to create to storm whatever compound of forces held her. It seemed like a good deal, since they could use a ride over anyway, and that brought them pretty much current to where Tifa had woken up to gun play.

Tifa felt bad for the way she had ignored Simon now. He had saved her in the end, though the only reason for that was probably because they were talking of killing her and he found out. Anything less wouldn't have swayed him. Her faith in friendship got a little stronger again, after the battering it had been getting recently. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could look forward to a nice boring year. She felt she deserved it.

A nurse came in and shooed out her friends. Shortly after a doctor came in and checked her over to make sure she was doing ok. Apparently, she wasn't on the brink of death, because he only poked her a few places and made some notes on a chart before moving on to the next room. Once he had left, Tifa looked at the note Rufus had sent. 'See you at six.' was all it said, and she let her disappointment show as she laid back and tried to keep her mind busy for another three hours.

* * *

"What? No flowers? You're a pretty shoddy husband." Tifa smiled as she said it, but found that she was still annoyed anyway. "Why couldn't you come earlier?"

"The past few days have been stressful. Work helps me take my mind off of things. Besides, your friends came, didn't they? I get the feeling they don't like me much and my presence would have displeased them." He pulled up a chair that was resting near a window and sat down. "Though I will admit that they can fight like demons, even after all these years."

Conversation hit a lull almost immediately. Tifa rubbed at her eye, wishing that she were well enough to leave the bed. It made her feel so weak and sickly to be confined like this.

"It was the first time I had ever been really worried." He wasn't meeting her eyes. "I get a threat about every week from one group or another, but the day before you were taken it talked about you too and I found myself paying attention. At the time it was almost worth it to me to demolish the hotel, like they demanded, if it meant I could get you back safe." He was serious. "I don't know what this means."

Tifa felt the muscles in her chest tighten. It was like she was a teenager again. "I think it means you might care for me, at least a little. It isn't a bad thing, is it?"

"I don't know. I never had a significant other, really, so this is all a little odd to conceptualize. Frankly, it just seems like a big distraction, but I can't seem to let go of the idea."

"Why? You've got a wife who you don't touch. Most people would find that a little odd too." Tifa laughed a little, which hurt more than it was worth. "I find it pretty odd myself."

Rufus snorted. "It isn't because I don't want to. I just assumed it would never happen. I started running everyday after work so that I'd be so exhausted I wouldn't think of it, but after the first month I decided it was too cold to be doing that." Tifa's sides shook with laughter that she couldn't allow herself to express.

"And I always thought you found me unattractive."

His eyes rolled back. "There were moments I almost cracked, but I was always able to get the damage under control in time. Then again, why do you think I gave you a bathrobe? Seeing you in a towel was just base cruelty."

"Now I'm sure you're trying to make me laugh. Stop it!" She coughed lightly.

"I do have something serious to ask you about." Tifa nodded for him to ask. "Why didn't you go with Strife?"

Her smile vanished and Tifa gave the question time to roll around in her brain before she answered. Rufus waited patiently.

"My life is here with you now. All of that other stuff is in the past. It's like a different country. It's nice to visit, but I don't live there." She placed her hands at her hips in a theatrical manner. "Well? You won, be happy! Kiss me or something." He did so, but was extra solicitous of her so as not to hurt her.

"When you are out of the hospital, and feeling up to it, would you like to go a date? I don't think I've ever asked someone out who I was serious about, and since we're married I don't suppose we can be any more committed than that." His hand held hers, his thumb stroking the skin on the back of her hand. "We can pretend like we're starting over."

"Hell, why not. I'm game." Tifa looked sly. "Maybe if you're nice I'll let you take me home."

Rufus' eyebrow arched. "I fully intend to get lucky."

"You are so fortunate all I have to throw is my pillow."

* * *

Tifa slid earrings into her lobes. She hadn't been on a date in a long time. There were a couple unpleasant blind dates that Yuffie had felt obliged to set her friend up on when she had come to town depressed, but that had been years (yes plural) ago. It had taken a surprising amount of time to get ready since she had gone through several different outfit possibilities. How did someone dress for a date when you didn't know where you were going? Summer had only just begun, and the nights were pleasantly warm but not hot.

In the end she had gone with a classic set of skirt, blouse, and heels. The heels were the only real concession, since they were painful even if they made her legs seem even longer. It was only for the evening and so long as not too much walking was involved then she'd be in good shape. She had even gone and had a small haircut. Nothing drastic of course, but it only fell to the bottom of her shoulderblades. Strangely, it made it seem like she had lost pounds of hair and she held up her head a little higher as a consequence.

The doorbell rang and she ran through the house to get it. Tifa stopped in front of the door and forced her breathing to calm down. She was still in physical therapy because of her lung, but usually she didn't get winded all that easily. It must have been the nervousness. She opened the door and smiled at her date.

"You're early." She took in his appearance with a bit of shock. "I still need to put on makeup."

"You don't need it. Let's go now." Rufus, in the outfit he had sported for so many years, with the coat and turtleneck, was changed in that both coat and pants had been dyed a solid black. Part of the reason had been because even after cleaning, he would never get all of the bloodstains from carrying Tifa to the car. The other part of the reason was that even he had acknowledged that it was silly to keep reminding himself of the old days.

Tifa picked up her purse and scurried out of the door, pulled along by her insistent date. Her questions as to where they were going were summarily ignored. The whole date idea was starting to look a lot less appealing as they took a cab and the two of them were silent once Tifa found that he was unwilling to speak of anything at all. If he was in a bad mood then he just should have said so and they could have rescheduled.

The cab stopped in front of his newly completed but not yet opened hotel. He threw some money at the driver and then nearly physically yanked Tifa from the car. They made their way inside, after he unlocked the door, and then he pulled her towards the stairs.

"I don't think so." Tifa said. "Not in these shoes. Anything more than ten floors and we're taking the elevator." Rufus sighed impatiently and disappeared for a moment. Some lights came on that previously had been off and the elevator opened for them at the push of a button. They got off at the top floor, the 25th, and still there were stairs to climb as they ended up on the roof.

There was a table and two chairs as well as a basket, Tifa noted as she fought the wind for dominance of her hair. It was secluded and she thought of how the nearest people were nearly a block away in any direction. He had really thought this out.

"It's windier than I thought it would be, but we can just take the food indoors after we enjoy the view a while." Rufus was acting as the brisk businessman right now, but Tifa recognized nervousness when she saw it. It was nice to know she wasn't alone.

"That sounds fine by me." She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the table. They sat down across from one another. "So, Mr. Nova, why don't you tell me something about yourself."

Rufus leaned back into his chair, slumping down in a relaxed position. "Well, I was known as Rufus Shinra for quite a few years. I took over the family business pretty young, but we ran into some hard times and I had to abandon it. Not that I'm sorry. I didn't like my family or the business very much."

"Oh really? That's too bad." He was speaking so lightly, and she tried to keep up the illusion that they were just making casual conversation.

"Of course I didn't have much choice at the time of whether to end the business or not. It literally sort of blew up, with me in the middle of it all. I only survived thanks to some prepared spells equipped on my person at the time. Even so, I am here before you now only because of some kind hearted scavengers who brought me to a makeshift hospital when they discovered the corpse they were raiding wasn't quite dead yet." He smiled engagingly. "What brought you to this neck of the woods, so to speak?"

Tifa laughed. "When I was dumped by the then love of my life, I was about ready to kill myself. I started a bar here in town because a couple of my friends were already living here and I needed someone to take care of me when I came home drunk nearly every night for a few months."

"That's terrible." He patted her hand as it rested on the tabletop.

"What's terrible is that after I sobered up and made a life for myself, I was still pretty empty and sad. At one point I was even forced to get married due to a mix up with some contracts, can you imagine?" She feigned shock.

"The man must have been desperate to get your attention to force something like that. How very pitiful."

"I know. But it all seems to be turning out alright, so you needn't worry about me." Her smile became coy. "I was rather surprised that you asked me out on a date. I hear you're married as well, and that she's just perfect."

Rufus was quick to respond. "Alas, it's just a rumor. She's really quite frigid. It only looks like we're perfect when we're out in public. Though she's been a lot nicer to me recently."

"Frigid eh?" She wasn't sure she liked that description. "Better be careful. If I were your wife I might act pretty perverse if I knew you were throwing around terms like that about me."

"If you were my wife I don't think that term would even cross my mind." That was his hand on her knee, she was pretty sure, and moving up.

She stopped him halfway up her thigh. "Going a little fast, aren't we?"

"I'd say this was due to happen months ago. I think I've been remarkably patient. Saintly, even."

"Food first, Saint Rufus." Tifa shook a finger in front of his face. "I spent all night choosing these clothes and you aren't getting me out of them that quickly." Rufus eased up with a chuckle. He was laughing more easily these days, even if it was mostly only in her presence.

The wind hadn't died down but Rufus poured out something the bubbled into a glass and handed it to her. Tifa took it but laughed at him still.

"I said food. What's this?" She smelled it and sneezed as carbonation tickled its way into her nose. "A little expensive for just a night out."

"We're celebrating the opening of my hotel, The Lockhart, and of my new acquisition of a little bar across the street. Got the property for a decent price. Seller couldn't give it away, but I took pity on him and gave him a good price." Tifa wasn't laughing anymore. "I owed him a favor. He helped me get something back that was important to me."

"And what are you going to do with it, the bar I mean?"

"I was thinking of turning it into a restaurant, something in conjunction with the hotel. What do you think?" The wind picked up a little more, making it almost cold on the roof even though the night was warm.

Tifa brightened suddenly. Taking a deep drink from her glass. "Do whatever you like. It isn't my problem, though I know personally that the roof will need to be redone. You might wish that you just demolished the place. And the kitchen isn't outfitted for much of anything. Now let's go inside and eat before this goes to my head."

"That's fine by me."

As Tifa waited for Rufus to get everything together, her brain finally made a connection and she snorted.

"What?" Rufus handed her his glass while he opened the door, clutching the large basket in his other fist.

"The Lockhart Hotel? I've already got a foundation named after me, and even that was somewhat narcissistic. What next? Usually you wait until people die before you go naming buildings after them."

"By that logic, it would have been more appropriate to name it The Shinra Hotel. But just you try running that by my public relations manager. Besides, the name sounds good. It suits it."

Once back inside the building, they opened up the penthouse suite. It was typical to Rufus' interior design sensibilities, that is, it was all white. Tifa told him just what she thought of that. Very little of it was complimentary. After ranting about this one aspect of his taste which she found simply abominable for a few minutes while Rufus set up the food, she found herself lifted up and slung across his shoulder.

"You put me down this minute!" The position hurt a bit, plus she was sure her skirt was positively indecent like this.

"Only if you stop whining."

He deposited her at the table, where they had a pleasant meal and Tifa tried her best to keep her eyes off of the small bar that sat across the street, dark and deserted. Soon it would be a restaurant (after massive renovations most likely), and then it would be as if her old life had been erased entirely in a mere half a year.

"Is there something wrong with the chicken?"

"No."

"Then you might want to eat it rather than study it. I promise you, it doesn't hold any secrets in its belly, just some sort of cheesy bread-like stuffing. The caterer I ordered it from is fairly trustworthy and as much as I'm sure she despises me personally, I doubt she would try to poison either of us."

Tifa pushed the object of discussion around her plate a little more. "Is this where you saw yourself at this age?"

"No, to be honest. I saw myself as dictator of the planet, in actuality, raping it for its mineral wealth and doing exactly as I pleased." He wasn't laughing. The gleam in his eye was frightening, and she could see in a moment some of the ugliness that had been his trademark as a Shinra. "But, you and your friends gave me a bit of a reality check. Dreams of megalomania are well and good if you have the insanity to back it. All those months recuperating gave me a choice to either dive all the way off the edge and go completely nuts, seek out every last one of you and kill you slowly and painfully. . . or rebuild a little something for myself and forget the past."

"Sometimes you scare me." It wasn't a joke and she twisted her wedding band around her finger as she said it absently.

"I guess we're both lucky that I decided to be practical. There's no real security for my old age in revenge. Maybe it had something to do with what Holy did to the planet too. We're still feeling the effects, I think." He seemed to reorient himself before he continued. "You don't need to fear me. Ever. Honestly, when I first married you I had it in mind to destroy you if I discovered that you really had been involved that bombing. I have to say that I'm not above petty revenge these days, even if I let go of the past stuff."

Tifa wasn't hungry at all anymore. This was fast becoming one of the less pleasing dates she's ever been on. It even surpassed that time when the guy had insisted she disinfect herself before they shook hands and who rubbed down every surface before he touched it.

Rufus continued as if he didn't notice the change in mood. "But after a while, after observing you, (and having you observed as well), I began to see that you didn't have a malicious bone in your body. You even gave money to people on the street, and donated to orphanages, and all of that philanthropic stuff that I had always ignored. Every promise you made you fulfilled to the best of your ability even if you didn't want to do it. And I couldn't ever fault your public behavior towards me. Sometimes it was so real, and I found myself wishing it wasn't an act."

"How very nice. Yes, I'm a pushover it seems. And a good liar. What else?" Tifa swirled her finger above her water glass, while Rufus gave her a confused look.

"I'm trying to tell you why I fell for you, and you're getting insulted? Forget it then. I never was any good at this dating nonsense. Here." He tossed a box at her, and Tifa picked it up and opened it, her mouth set in a thin line. Then the corners of her lips softened, and her eyes lit with pleasure. She pulled out a solid heart pendant like the one that had been taken from her when she had been kidnapped. It had upset her quite a lot when she realized it was missing after she came home and had gone through her things, but she hadn't said anything about it.

She let herself do the fluttery feminine thing for a moment, before she put it on and stared at it a little more. "Rufus, I have to say that even though you have a knack for being mean and rude, I'll always be convinced that deep down inside you're a good person." She thought a moment. "Or at least that you're a good person *now*. I'm not speaking for the past incarnations. You were a bit of a bastard then." She held out her hands and stood up, waiting for a hug. . . her gesture of forgiveness.

This time when Rufus laughed and came over to hug her, she didn't stop his wandering hands. The chuckle deep in his throat made his chest vibrate a bit, and she knew that because her own hands had somehow made their way underneath his shirt. His lips caught hers, and they fought for dominance for a moment or two since most things ended up a fight when Tifa was involved. Rufus pulled away, and looked down at his wife, her lips swollen and her chest heaving a little from breathing too much.

"You know, we are in a hotel room. . ."

She followed the train of thought. ". . . and the bed's just in the other room." She sighed. "I had thought the date would last a little longer, but then any more conversation and I might get angry again."

"No more talking. I think I can manage that."

Tifa gave a little internal laugh. Maybe this was something like a honeymoon. An expensive hotel room. . . champagne and an expensive and private dinner. . . and they would finally consummate the marriage. As Rufus nearly tore her buttons off as she stood in between his legs and leaned her knees on the bed, she wondered if maybe they could take a trip somewhere.

But as her skirt pooled at her feet, her idle thoughts were swept away and Tifa discovered just how nice it was to get other exercise besides her martial arts.


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It burns. What can I say, you have to write badly a long ass time...

"Soooo. What are you gonna name her, huh?" Yuffie stared at Tifa's stomach as if it were already humongous. She had a few months yet before she showed too obviously, but it was definite nevertheless.

"Don't you do that to me too, it could be a boy you know."

Tifa looked at her stomach with some uneasiness. It was the solstice and her one year wedding anniversary. Lots of people were around from the last party, and a few new ones, like some of the ladies who were involved deeply in the Foundation. Right now their project was clearing ground and planning what to plant in a community garden. Even finding the site had been a challenge, but soon enough she would be able to start the second big Foundation project. The first was a playground that was going up near the almost finished Wall. The whole town was looking forward to the Wall's completion. There was even talk of making it a permanent holiday.

"We really haven't talked much about names. Though I finally got him to paint the walls different colors and to put in something besides white carpet. And a lot of the glass stuff will have to be baby-proofed." Tifa leaned over and whispered behind her hand. "Confidentially, he's going a little nuts about making everything safe. I think he's overreacting."

Yuffie's mind tended to stay on her own topics. "I think that when she pops out you gotta name her Tifa Jr. Boys get to do it, so we should too."

"Why not have a Yuffie Jr. of your own? Carry on your noble family's bloodline?" Yuffie looked like she was about to throw up.

"You're kidding right? I'm not ready for something like that! How would I fight monsters with my big stomach gettin' in the way?" Yuffie shook her head. "Naw. I'll be Auntie Yuffie for your little rugrat and that's enough."

Tifa was sure Yuffie would be singing a different tune in a few years, but she wasn't going to push it. Vincent walked over and asked after Tifa's health. He seemed to be just as concerned as Rufus got, and she had been getting frequent visits by both men and Yuffie as well while she was moving things around and giving orders during the day for the Foundation. The concern was built on good intentions, but it was getting a bit maddening.

"I was thinking of inviting everyone to come for the naming ceremony after I have the baby. It's been a long time since I saw Red, or Marlena, and just about everyone really." Yuffie loudly gave her support for the idea, and Vincent too looked pleased at the prospect of seeing the old group together. The only iffy part would be when all the rest of them met the father of the child. Hopefully, no fights would break out. . . but that was a concern for another day.

Rufus brought Tifa some water and she thanked him as Yuffie and Vincent wandered away and Rufus lazily draped an arm about her shoulders. Even if they accepted him, they never really liked him, and so long as no one argued in front of Tifa she was willing to let things be. If it was the same after a few years, then she might take action, but it wasn't for her to impose her will on other people.

The judge who had married them, now the new mayor after the old mayor had stepped down, came over to wish them well. Tifa was grateful that, unlike the old mayor, he didn't make a habit of speaking loudly even if the things he said still caused her inadvertent embarrassment.

"Rufus?"

"Hm?" He was sipping from his own drink and watching the new arrivals. There were so many people this year, many of them from all walks of life and classes, and far more of them looked friendly and happy. He knew it wasn't his influence or newly expanded wealth that had inspired such an outpouring of emotion, or the increase in the guest list.

"I think I want to look into some good martial arts instructors. We'll have to start the kid in early if we want them to be good enough to spar with me." Rufus gave Tifa a funny look in response.

"Most mothers would be thinking about finding good schools."

Tifa ignored the sarcasm. "I'm just special, I guess."

"Oh yes, *very* special." Now he was just trying to be insulting. Tifa shot a quick jab at his arm, which he caught. Her mouth dropped open in shock. Rufus noted what he did and dropped her hand almost guiltily. "Sorry, here, do it again. I promise I won't move this time."

"So you were just letting me hit you." She stood, annoyed, and started to make her way over to greet the ex-mayor who had just walked in with his wife. Rufus ran over and caught Tifa by the waist, halting her.

He leaned down. "After you have the baby, we can have a match. And I won't even hold back." Tifa's mouth curled up a little, despite her trying to keep it down.

"Whispering sweet nothings into her ear? A year goes by and they still look like they're about to go on their honeymoon! Amazing!" The ex- mayor's voice carried over every nearby conversation and smothered it. A few people began to giggle.

"Leave them alone, dear." Indra, his wife, mercifully said as she led him away from the couple. "Congratulations, you two." It was like they were all caught in some sort of time warp, doomed to replay the same sort of feelings of those first awkward days infinitely.

They passed out of sight, though not out of hearing range, and Tifa and Rufus allowed themselves to laugh.

"You want to hear a sweet nothing since I'm here?" When he put it like that. . . no.

"Just tell me you love me and let me go so I can go do my job as hostess." Tifa pulled away a little and faced him. Rufus looked to other sides to make sure no one was looking at them anymore. He was still such a private person about his feelings.

"I love you."

Tifa, however, wasn't so constrained and hers was loud as she walked away. "I love you too." His shoulders cringed and she felt strangely happy to get to him like that.

Life might not be normal in the way Tifa had always expected, but this kind of abnormal she could live with.


End file.
